WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS DOESN'T ALWAYS STAY THERE
by frankiejayson
Summary: A Mode photoshoot in Vegas has legally binding consequences for Wilhelmina and Daniel.
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: The idea of this story was majorly inspired by the movie _What Happens in Vegas_ and was penned years ago. When I started writing this story, I didn't know that they were really going to kill off Molly, so she's alive here and will be mentioned occasionally.

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the characters mentioned in the following story.**

 **CHAPTER 1:**

Bellagio Resort, Las Vegas: That's where the latest photo shoot for _Mode_ took place. Everybody involved was excited and thought of it as a mini vacation because…well; it's Vegas. However, they had to head home as soon as they wrapped up the shoot because the company was still in a financial bind and _Meade_ _Publications_ couldn't afford to waste any more money by paying for the crew to stay in Las Vegas for an entire weekend. Nonetheless, Wilhelmina Slater wasn't known for following rules, she was famous for enforcing them. That's why she decided to hang back and stay the entire weekend because in truth, she did need some time to herself following the hurricane that transpired in her life in the past 7 weeks.

She sat at the bar sipping her second cosmopolitan after a long day of barking orders at the crew members and the models. Before today, she had never been happier to wrap up a photo shoot for some much needed relaxation time. And what better place to forget all her problems than in Vegas? As she sat there mentally planning out the rest of the evening,

"Wilhelmina?" came that distinctive voice she hated so damn much. She whirled her head, her eyes meeting the source with a blank expression. He only returned her expression with a goofy grin.

"Daniel…just when I thought this day couldn't get any worse." She said monotonously, her disenchantment apparent. He sat next to her and he could tell she was irritated by the action and he loved it.

"What are you still doing here? I thought you left with the rest of the crew hours ago."

"I'm having a drink and you thought wrong." She answered coldly.

"In case you were wondering, I also decided to stick around, you know…relax a little and breathe after the whole company financial catastrophe and Molly."

"I wasn't wondering." She stated unperturbedly.

"Why do you always have to be a bi-… so uptight? I thought you and I were okay." He said when it became apparent that his company wasn't welcome.

"I'm not being uptight, Daniel, it's just…I don't want to talk, okay? You're starting to annoy me now." She said, which was a mistake because a devilish grin played across Daniel's face and he was planning to do more of that.

"You seem upset. The shoot is done, and everything turned out perfect…eventually." He said pointedly.

"It's not about the shoot." She admitted. Something in her tone made him drop his agenda immediately.

"I figured that. You've been pissed at everybody at the office for the past three weeks. Yelling, screaming…"

"Can you blame me?" She asked angrily.

"No. Of course not. You're still thinking about Connor, huh?" He asked.

"It's not just about him, it's about everything. Nothing is right in my life right now. I lost everything I had and loved in matter of just six weeks." She murmured, letting her guard down.

"Oh. Anyway, I am sorry about your so-…the baby. I know despite how he got here…" He said making an effort to comfort her.

"Is this how you felt when you lost DJ?" She cut him off and Daniel looked deep into her eyes and although there were no tears in them, they gave away; they were somewhat dead. The woman had been deeply hurt. At that moment he began seeing Wilhelmina as human like everybody else. "Did it feel like somebody stuck a knife in your stomach and then twisted it?" She asked and he snapped back to reality.

"Yeah…it did." He admitted.

"Fuck" She muttered.

"Is that why you're still here? Trying to forget everything for a moment?"

"In some way…I know it's totally ridiculous because I learnt a long time ago that you can't run away from your problems." She took a sip of her drink before she continued, "Now since you've been asking me questions I've got one for you." She said.

"What is it?"

"What are you doing, hanging in a bar in Vegas drinking with your sworn enemy when you've got a woman waiting for you back home?"

"Molly is not…my woman anymore." He admitted.

"What do you mean?"

"She decided that she wants to try the new treatment after all. She doesn't want to give up…and she wants to do it without me." He explained.

"But didn't you follow her to the ends of the earth when you first found out about her illness? Promising to be there through thick and thin?"

"Yes but she changed her mind about the treatment options. She really wants to do it with her family and…"

"You have no choice but to respect that." She finished.

"Exactly."

"Shit, Daniel, I'm sorry." Daniel looked at her in the eye as if attempting to read if she was being sincere, "I know you probably think I'm happy that you're hurting but I'm not. Contrary to what you think of me, I'm a human being too."

"I know and that means a lot coming from you. At first she wanted to be with her family, figure out the treatment, and then we were back together and she didn't want to go through an experimental treatment with a low success rate. And now she wants to try and not give up easily." He explained.

"Well, it looks like Molly is just like other women after all." Wilhelmina said with a mischievous smirk.

"Meaning?"

"She can't make up her mind. It's what women do." Daniel let out a snicker. Wilhelmina signaled to the bartender.

"Another Cosmopolitan, ma'am?" Asked the barman.

"No, I'll have a Macallan 18, single malt now. Thanks."

"And for you, sir?"

"Uh, I'll have the same." Daniel replied.

Daniel took the time and eyed her up and down. She wore a strapless metallic gold bandage dress with matching Louboutins, hair and makeup done to perfection. She looked radiant.

"So…you're all dolled up just to have a drink?" He asked.

"Huh?"

"I mean you look beau-…I mean you look...good." she gave him an incredulous glare at that admission. Her response amazed Daniel as he expected an 'I know' look, accompanied by a smirk from her. At that moment he thought of that look as the cutest thing he'd ever seen from her. Just then, the bartender slid their drinks across the bar.

"Are you…serious?" She asked incredulously.

"Yeah, what, you don't believe me? Wilhelmina, every man in this room had their eyes fixed on you when I walked in." Her eyes scanned the room and indeed the men in the bar were ogling her.

"I didn't even notice." She whispered, rolling her eyes before taking a sip of her scotch.

"Really? You expect me to believe that you put on that number just to have a drink?"

"I'm Wilhelmina fucking Slater." She stated flatly. Daniel chuckled at the response.

"Touché." He said before sipping his scotch.

"And to answer that question you asked earlier…No, I did not dress up like this just to sit at the bar. I actually have plans."

"Oh? I was…enjoying your company, surprisingly. But if you wanna go, go. I don't wanna hold you…" She gave him a fretful, quizzical look and then slowly reached for his tumbler. "What? What are you doing with my drink?"

"I think you've had enough." She affirmed as she confiscated the drink.

"No, I'm not drunk, I'm just…" He protested.

"First you complemented me on my outfit, and now you're telling me that you are enjoying a conversation with me. I think it's time for an intervention."

"Fair enough." He chuckled "So where are you going?"

"I don't think you'll be interested." She said simply.

"C'mon, try me." He probed.

"First, I'm going to the fine arts gallery and after that, I'll head for the poker room."

"I love poker." He said almost suggestively causing her to quirk her brow skeptically.

"YOU love poker?" She asked still keeping her suspicious glare.

"I love…watching other people play poker." He replied.

"Uh-huh. So you want to tag along?" She asked causing his face to light up.

"Are you serious…really, can I?" He asked and it was too late to tone down the keenness in his voice.

"Well, they say misery loves company. Let's be miserable together…just for tonight."

"Alright." He replied with a grin.

"Good. Now go change and meet me back here in about 15 minutes." She said and gulped Daniel's recently confiscated drink.

"Change? What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" She eyed him up and down.

"I don't mean to be brutal but…everything." He pouted at her criticism.

"Really?"

"Daniel, I'm not asking you to put on a tux; just look…presentable. You'll be my companion for this evening, so you have to look good enough." In all honesty he didn't know what made him cave in and give in on Wilhelmina's demand but he found himself answering, "Okay." And then got off the bar stool and walked away.

"Another single malt, please." Wilhelmina said to the bar tender. Moments went by and she sat there, sipping on the scotch as she patiently waited for his return. After paying for the drinks, she waited a little longer, glancing at her wrist watch when all at once Daniel's voice called behind her.

"All done." She turned to look at him and a tight smile crossed her face.

"Now that's what I'm talking about." She said.

"Shall we?" He said in a gruff voice as he proffered his hand. She quaffed the remaining liquor from the tumbler and accepted Daniel's hand without any hesitancy and got off the bar stool. As they were walking out of the bar, "So, do I look okay?" He asked.

"You don't look like a stoner anymore. You almost look like a gentleman."

"Thank you. That means a lot coming from you."

"I know." She said smirking.

"So, after the gallery it's the poker room. You know how to play poker?"

"No, Daniel, I go to poker rooms where there's limited access just for the cognac." She sarcastically replied.

"Do you always have to be sarcastic?"

"Do you always have to be an idiot?" She shot back.

"Do you always have to be a bi-…sorry. Let's go and paint the town red." He said eagerly, causing her to roll her eyes.

"Really, Daniel?"

"There you go again."

"I will not be apologetic for who I am." She said confidently accompanied by a lopsided devilish smirk.

"This is going to be a fun night." He said sardonically.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2:**

And a fun night it was…..

The next day at around 11:30 AM, an annoying, buzzing sound awoke Wilhelmina. "Oh…Oh my God…what the hell?...oh my." She groggily whined.

Her eyes fluttered open and she realized that the annoying sound was actually coming from her cell phone on the bedside table. Her gaze moved about in the room and even though it was dark, she managed to recognize the room as her suite, which offered some relief. However, her relief was short lived as she realized something she totally missed the moment she woke up. There was a warm body pressed against hers with an arm draping over her waist; somebody was spooning her and the gentleman's cock was pressing up against her ass. She reached for her bedside lamp and switched it on and promptly turned to focus on the stranger beside her. Her eyes adjusted to his features and her heart skipped a beat.

"Hey! Hey! Get up!" Wilhelmina prodded him. He groaned as he made an effort to open his eyes, finally his eyes shot open. He tried to make out the lady's face through his still blurred vision. As soon as he realized who was staring icily at him, his entire sanity came back.

"Wilhelmina?" He screamed as he swiftly adjusted to a sitting position.

"Are you done being a drama queen, Daniel?" She said dryly.

"What the hell happened?"

"I'll tell you what happened, YOU took advantage of ME." She stated firmly.

"Are you crazy? I wouldn't dream of…you know, touching you." He responded with a hint of nervousness.

"I would find that easier to believe if you weren't gawking at my tits!" She retorted sharply. As soon as that statement left her mouth, his gaze instantaneously moved away from her chest.

"Well they're…there. What do you want me to do, look the other way?" He spat.

"You better." Warned Willie.

"They're…huge… and real…I…I mean…just cover yourself, Wilhelmina. Please." He said nervously. She pulled the sheet up to her chest to cover herself.

"Daniel, I'm naked under here and I don't recall even letting you in my goddamn suite. Did you drug me?"

"Look I'm not that desperate for sex, woman. DID YOU DRUG ME?" He asked angrily.

"What could I possibly gain from…"

"Oh I don't know…to get me to sign my shares of Meade over to you and take everything I've got!"

"If I really did this to make you sign Meade Publications over, why would I sleep with you?" For a moment he was silent in an attempt to come up with an answer and looked under the covers.

"Maybe you couldn't resist all of this" He replied gesturing up and down his body. He immediately felt a pillow striking him across the face as a response to his outlandish theory.

"How dare you? You think I would sleep with you deliberately? Obviously I was out of my mind! Oh, my God…Why?...Did you use a condom?"

"I always use a condom. It doesn't matter how drunk I am."

"Oh, so we're good."

"Well, I kinda didn't have any condoms with me and I don't remember anything so…uh…we probably didn't use one." He said sheepishly, looking at her almost apologetically.

"Wow, the man-whore doesn't wrap his cupid." She sarcastically spat.

"Look, I wasn't planning on hooking up with anyone this weekend. I only stayed to clear my head…besides I'm not that guy anymore. I really have changed and…" He protested.

"Yeah, Yeah, yeah, I don't really care about your life story right now, Meade. I just wanted to know if we fucked with a condom or not." He huffed and jumped out from under the covers. As he attempted walking, he stumbled and stubbed his toe on the bed side table.

"SHIT!" He cried, "I can barely see…."

"Just turn the damn light on, stupid!" She rebuked.

"What the hell do you think I'm trying to do, Wilhelmina?" He said irritably as he attempted to find the light. He flipped the switch and the lights came on.

"Geez, Daniel, just put your underwear on, please! I'm still disgusted just thinking about it and now you're giving me the preview!" Willie screamed. He chuckled, obviously finding the anger somewhat humorous.

"Oh come on, you've seen me naked and I've seen you…" He said in attempt to calm her.

"Yeah, the morning after you slept with my sister. Thanks for reminding me. Put your goddamn clothes on, Daniel." He spotted his boxers beside the bed and quickly slipped them on.

"And by the way, it's not a preview if it's after we had-…"

"OH FUCK OFF!" She retorted, shooting down his attempt to explain.

"Look, maybe we didn't sleep together. We were obviously very drunk and we couldn't possibly have done any-…"

"Well, the jizz on the sheets and on my thigh seems to suggest otherwise…oh, my God" She cried with revulsion.

"Oh-Oh" Said Daniel. She noticed that Daniel's eyes were fixated on the bedside table on his side.

"What? Now, What?"

"This is our…there's a…we are…" Growing impatient at his attempt to form a coherent sentence, she jumped out of bed and rushed over to his side while fastening the sheet around her body and joined him and stared at the piece of paper, her eyes widening in sickening horror. They were married; as evidenced by the marriage certificate and the receipt from Tiffany's Bellagio store. Atop of their marriage certificate, rested a tungsten wedding band.

"No!" She screamed and immediately looked on her ring finger and it was housed by an elegant solitaire engagement ring- another detail she missed when she woke up. Her gaze then followed a trail of the discarded clothes on the floor, Daniel's socks, shoes, a bowtie, her thong and matching bra and finally a white wedding gown neatly lay on the chaise together with a black tuxedo. This couldn't be, "Oh, okay nice joke, Meade. It's pretty lame but I admit it, you got me. Now please, I know we didn't…."

"Yes we did!" He said looking at her with terror. She stared at her ring and back at him and she realized that it wasn't a joke. Her eyes widened in horror, matching his expression.

"Oh, my God!" She exclaimed. While they were still staring at each other in astonishment, her cell phone vibrated and she rushed to the bedside table to answer it.

"Marc?...I have no idea, I'm still trying to figure things out…wait how do you know about that?...WHAT?...Oh shit, I'm screwed! Marc, I've got to go." She plummeted on the edge of the bed with her hands supporting her head.

"Wilhelmina, what's wrong?" asked Daniel.

"Apparently somebody took pictures of us in the elevator last night and sold them to _Fashion Buzz."_

"Elevator? What were we doing?"

"I'm not sure but I don't think it's what you're thinking."

"Are you sure?"

"Marc would have been much more dramatic if they showed footage of us fucking in an elevator." She said matter-of-factly

"I guess. God, I'm surprised I haven't heard from my mom and Betty."

"Maybe they tried to reach you but your phone is dumped in that wine filled glass over there." She said pointing to the table across the room.

"Did we drink that much last night? Wait, what day is it? " He asked.

"My phone says it's Saturday 11:47 AM. That's impossible. I only remember playing roulettes with you and those weirdos. And then…a limo ride and…nothing after that."

"I only had three sips of scotch when I was sitting with you at the bar and when we were in the limo with those guys and we danced at the club and…" He watched her confused expression, her eyes full of hope that he might remember "…and…I've got nothing." He said shaking his head in defeat.

"Okay, I only had two cosmopolitans and three tumblers of scotch, complimentary champagne at the gallery and another one at the casino. We rode the limo at some point…and I woke up next to you."

"Did we take some drugs?" Daniel questioned.

"I think we did, Daniel. Isn't it strange that we remember nothing after partying with some shady characters and now we woke up naked next to each other? And come to think of it…our last memory is the limo ride. I think I also sort of did a line of coke in that night club. "

"Oh, my God. How could I be so stupid?" Cried Daniel, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"We have to get the marriage dissolved. And we have to do it fast and quietly." She suggested.

"It's Saturday noon, Wilhelmina. I doubt that there are any lawyers we can find to grant us an annulment today."

"I know that!" She snapped "I was talking about when we get back to New York. And for your information, lawyers don't grant annulments, judges do."

"Why do you always have to be so mean? We are both adults here and we are both responsible for this. This is not all on me, you know!" He said angrily.

"I know that too! Look, just go to your suite and we'll talk about this later. I need to take a long shower and then instigate damage control."

"Fine!" He spat.

"Fine! My God, this is the worst thing I've ever done…and I once had a three way with Tommy Lee. This takes the cake." She said mainly to herself. "God, I can't believe I slept with you, and without protection. I feel so dirty."

"And how do you think I feel?...You're…uh… on the pill right?" He asked almost uneasily.

"No, I'm not." She noticed his expression turning into that of panic "Relax. I have a hostile womb, I can't have kids…It's just that I don't know where the hell you've been and I don't intend on contracting any type of STD from you."

"You have nothing to worry about, I've been tested and I'm clean, alright?" He said in an aggressive tone, slightly hurt by the look of repulsion and panic on her face.

"You see what being cordial to each other has done?"

"You were the one who was going on about 'let's be miserable together.'" He said the last part of the statement with a mimic of her voice.

"SHUT UP!" She spat. Before she could think of a witty remark, a wave of nausea overcame her. "Look, just get out of my suite. I'll talk to you later." She said and promptly got up and staggered to the bathroom. After she slammed the door, he took it as an indication not to argue anymore and just get out of there. He walked unsteadily around the suite picking up his items of clothing. As he was getting dressed he heard a commotion of retching sounds of her puking.

"Need some help?" He yelled.

"No! Just go, please!" She yelled back. At that, he scurried for the door and walked out.

* * *

The next morning, at Daniel's request, Wilhelmina made her way to the hotel restaurant to join him for breakfast so they could talk things over. Walking in the restaurant, her eyes went searching for him. She pranced down over to his table as soon as she spotted him. He stood up and pulled out the chair opposite his for her and she sat down, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Good morning, wifey" He said jokingly.

"Good morning, hubby." She replied sarcastically and Daniel could tell that she was clearly not amused.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. We're both responsible for this catastrophe. You were trying to make the best of the situation…no matter how ugly." She exhaled loudly before speaking again "So, I spoke to Marc."

"Yeah, I saw _Fashion Buzz_. It was just us making out. They don't know about the…marriage."

"And I think it's best if we keep it that way." She suggested.

"Wow, you're suggesting that? I thought I was the one who was gonna have to convince you." He said with a nervous chuckle.

"Because I'm such a publicity whore?" She asked derisively with a mirthless smile.

"That's not…I was just…"

"It's okay, Daniel, I admit it, if this were any other time, it would have made a great scandal as they say 'All publicity is good publicity.' but our company is in the crapper. Hartley just saved our asses because Connor left me and…I mean he left with our company's money and you lost Molly and I just lost my so-…William. It's just bad for business." She looked down while mentioning William's name.

"I know. Wilhelmina, I'm sorry about Will-…"

"And that's why we have to get this marriage annulled ASAP." She said quickly, cutting him off.

"I agree. Can I get you some breakfast?"

"No." She replied.

"Come on, what would you like?" He insisted.

"I can't eat."

"Oh, come on, you're in Vegas. You got married to me, something you definitely never thought you'd do. I think you're allowed to eat carbs, lots of them." He pressed on.

"I can't eat because I'm feeling nauseous." She admitted.

"You too? I'm also feeling kinda quea-…"

"And yet you're stuffing yourself like a lonely girl." She said cynically.

"So, what? I'm hungry." He answered, mouthful.

"Disgusting." She said monotonously.

"So, how do we go about this, Mrs. Meade?" Daniel teased.

"Call me that again and I'll be heading back to New York alone. Remember Las Vegas is a desert." She warned eliciting a lopsided smile from him, clearly enjoying getting a rise out of her.

"Hey, you're still wearing your ring." He said pointedly, surprised that she didn't flush it down the toilet already. She eyed the ring on her finger.

"It is a beauty. Despite the circumstances, diamonds will always be my secret best friend."

"Really? I thought that was Botox." He teased and then she reached out on his plate, grabbed the buttered toast and threw it at him, hitting him on the face. "Okay, okay I'm sorry." He sniggered and wiped the butter off his face. "So how do we go about this, Willie?"

"First of all, don't call me Willie. And second, we have to file a petition for an annulment back in New York tomorrow if we can."

"What time?" He asked.

"Around 10 o'clock. We can get our forms then and fill them and wait for the judge to grant us a trial."

"Trial?"

"An annulment is not like a divorce. We have to go to court and prove that we were drunk off our asses when we got married…that we were not mentally capable of getting married." She explained.

"I didn't know that. I thought it was easier…you know, like on TV."

"Well, it's not. I spoke to my lawyer, he says we'll probably meet with the judge later in the week, giving us enough time to gather evidence to prove that we were drunk. Hopefully the judge will grant us the annulment, we'll sign whatever we have to sign and we can go back to hating each other's guts again."

"Wilhelmina, for the record…I don't…I don't hate you." He admitted.

"You're right, you don't hate me. You despise me."

"No, I don't. For months we've actually stuck together and became a team, worked together and we tried to save the company together…" As much as his tone would have made any other person feel warm inside, it didn't work on her.

"And you tried to push me out the moment you found out that William wasn't mine and Bradford's." She finished his sentence glaring cynically at him.

"Wilhelmina…"

"I have a plane to catch, Daniel. I'll see you tomorrow in New York. If you need anything, any information or if you want to share information about the annulment, don't hesitate to call or e-mail me. Have a nice day." She said coldly and hurriedly stood up and then walked off.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3:**

Walking into her apartment, she cursed under her breath at her own stupidity as she dragged her luggage. She slammed the door shut with exasperation, cursing herself for her moment of weakness of talking to Daniel about her personal life; if she didn't share her problems with him then she wouldn't be in this dilemma. She was cursing pretty much everybody and everything on the planet, especially the day Daniel Meade was born. She dumped her luggage on the floor carelessly and strutted towards the hallway.

"Asshole! If he didn't make those goddamn puppy dog eyes, I wouldn't have invited his ass to come with me and we wouldn't have had our drinks spiked or taken drugs or whatever and we wouldn't have gotten fucking marri-…" She stopped and strained her ears and realized that someone else was in her apartment. Before she even went to investigate Marc walked in the living room.

"Willie!" He said gleefully.

"Marc? What are you doing in my apartment?"

"I have a key." She rolled her eyes at his response.

"Excellent defense, Marc 'Your honor, I broke into the plaintiff's home because I have a key.' That would get you off the hook for sure." She snapped irritably.

"Somebody is in a mood." Marc said and then cocked his head, trying to read her "You did something stupid; worse than making out with your enemy."

"I know." She said as she fell back on her couch in defeat, hanging her head in shame.

"Spill."

"Marc" She warned.

"I came over here because I had a feeling that you'll need me. How did you manage to get through the photographers downstairs, anyway?"

"With the help of my driver and yelling 'No comment' repeatedly. Besides, there wasn't a lot of them." Marc studied her face.

"You have bloodshot eyes." He pointed out.

"I know."

"And your voice is hoarse."

"It's one of the side effects of a wild night. God, I'm ruined." She put her head in her hands in defeat.

"You made out with Daniel." Marc stated, his voice filled with concern.

"And in an elevator…like a cheap whore." She replied staring in the distance.

"Please tell me that's all you did." She glanced at him and his mouth formed an 'O'.

"I wish I could." She replied.

"You…slept with him?" Marc asked, almost shooting up from the couch.

"God, Marc how can I do something so fucking stupid?"

"You were obviously drunk, right? Because if you weren't, that's just…wrong, yet extremely HOT." He stated the last part with a wriggle of his brows.

"We were drunk. Very, very drunk."

"How much did you drink?"

"You mean the quantity that I can actually remember?"

"That much?"

"Yeah and it's really strange that I don't remember a thing. I think I ought to set up a doctor's appointment for tomorrow, see if he can find something because this doesn't make any sense."

"What?"

"I think our drinks were spiked by some 'friends' we made."

"Friends?"

"We met a group of artists there and they were really fun and I was actually hoping on hooking up with them and engage in a little group activity instead of...Daniel." She said his name with venom and disgust "Anyway, we partied together and we were joined by some ladies who offered me some coke in the bathroom. But I didn't do much of it, I swear. It was just two lines. I still had my sanity then." Marc's eyes widened in consternation "And that's not the bad part."

"What could possibly be worse than you getting wasted and sleeping with pasty face?"

"Marrying him?" She said sheepishly.

"Wilhelmina Devlin Slater! How could you? Woman, you're out of control!" Marc admonished jokingly.

"I know, Marc. What a huge mistake."

"Or…was it?" Marc asked narrowing his eyes.

"What? Oh, God Marc please don't tell me you think that this is a scheme." Willie said, clearly offended by the insinuation.

"It's not?"

"I know you have every reason not to put that past me but, no. I managed to keep my 50 percent of the company, my position is secured, and everything is fine. This marriage is a big drunken, stupid mistake that will be rectified within the next few days, and by next month, this will all be over as if it never happened. Now if you will excuse me, I'm gonna go take a nap. I think it'll aid my pounding head."

"Did you take something for the headache?"

"Yeah, hours ago, but I think sleep might help get rid of it all together." She said, rubbing her eyes.

"Before you go, let me update you, your publicist called and she was going to contact you again about the…matter. She wants to know if you want to release a statement or…"

"Marc, I've got a splitting headache. Let everybody think whatever they want to think."

"You think that's wise?"

"What do you mean?"

"I thought with the company's current situation and your reputation…I don't know, maybe say something to defend…"

"Marc, darling I have never been one to explain myself when it comes to my fucked up personal life and I'm not about to start now." She stated.

"Okay, just checking. Now let's get you something for that headache…and for the voice. You can't scare the little people at _Mode_ if you don't have a voice."

"What are you going to give me for my raspy voice?"

"Warm honey and ginger." She scrunched up her face "I know it's nasty but it works like a charm." She smiled turning on her heel heading to the hallway, however she stopped.

"Marc?" She called out softly.

"Yes, Willie?"

"Thank you." She said looking into his eyes and they shared a little moment of an unspoken understanding and it made his heart flutter. Time and time again, he often felt underappreciated by Willie and now she was thanking him. This wasn't just about this afternoon, it was about everything.

"You're welcome, Willie." He replied with a smile and she nodded meekly before continuing down the hallway.

* * *

On Monday morning, Daniel almost ran to his town car as soon as he spotted his driver standing next to it. He pranced as fast as he could, trying to avoid the few, annoying paparazzi that were following him, asking questions about the nature of his relationship with Wilhelmina Slater. Of course, he didn't answer and just pranced to his waiting car.

To his shock, his mother was in the car waiting, her eyes filled with disappointment that she wouldn't be able to masquerade even if she tried. He cleared his throat, fixing to say something. However, before he could utter a word, he felt a hard, stinging slap on his left cheek.

"How could you?...with that bitch?" Claire asked, her anger flaring.

"Mom…I…I'm sorry…" He apologized, rubbing his cheek.

"And in an elevator? How disgusting. All those pictures of you groping and fondling that whore…" His mother admonished.

"Mom…"

"Just how drunk were you, son to fall for another one of her schemes to get the company?" She asked, fuming.

"Mom, I don't think this was one of Wilhelmina's schemes. It was a mistake. We were drunk and…"

"You screwed her? God, Daniel how could you? How dare she? That woman doesn't have any self control does she?"

"Mom, calm down. Who said anything about screwing? We just…"

"So you expect me to believe that you made out in that elevator and then you went to your respective suites to read the 10 commandments?" She challenged causing Daniel to avert eyes from her out of guilt.

"Mom, please." He pleaded.

"That bitch is probably planning on having another Meade baby, so she can fully get her claws in the company. Did you think about that in your state of temporary insanity? We lucked out that William turned out not to be hers."

"Mom that's ridiculous. Hartley kept her on board despite William's parentage. Why would she want to have a Meade baby?"

"To trap you and make you miserable. Lord knows the woman hates it when other people are happy."

"Mom, don't worry about that. Wilhelmina is not gonna…"

"What? Get pregnant? Don't be so sure, Daniel. Did you use a condom?"

"Mom, please!" He pleaded, this time out of embarrassment.

"Don't 'Mom, please' me. Daniel, what you did was irresponsible and it's gonna affect the company's image which is already in jeopardy…because of your friend."

"Mom…"

"And Cal wants to see you two…"

"Of course…Cal. I thought he was going to be a silent partner; a person who has no business in my personal life." Daniel said spitefully gazing out the window.

"Are you kidding me, Daniel? It is because of that man that our company, YOUR father's legacy is still standing today! And your personal life is not his business only, but it's every advertiser's business because Daniel you are in a business that revolves around image. And if it continues to go down the toilet, there won't be much of a business left." Claire affirmed and her words stung.

As his mother spoke, the seriousness of his actions began to dawn on him. 'This could be bad.' He said mentally as he thought about his recent nuptials. He sure as hell couldn't tell his mom about that now. If he did, there'd be another heart attack in the Meade family.

"I'm sorry." He said simply, still staring out the window.

"The phones are ringing non-stop at _Mode_ this morning and there's a sea of photographers and journalists outside the Meade building."

"Damn it! Well, that'll have to wait. I have to go freshen up, I have other things to I attend to than explain myself to the media."

"They are talking, Daniel."

"Let them talk." He snapped.

"Theories have begun to form in the gossip community. Some believe that it was your 'affair' with Wilhelmina that caused Connor Owens to embezzle from the company."

"What?"

"They say that you stole Wilhelmina from him and pissed him off."

"Whatever. Let them believe whatever they want to believe."

"Daniel, are you hearing yourself? Did you even think how this is going to affect Molly and her health? Did you?"

"I didn't plan on sleeping with anybody this weekend, especially Wilhelmina and I sure as hell didn't plan for it to end up on _Fashion_ _Buzz_ and gossip publications. I love Molly, but she and I are over."

"She's sick, Daniel. She doesn't want to put you through the pain of watching her go through that brutal treatment…" Claire attempted to explain, however Daniel cut her off.

"I could have been there for her. I wanted to be there for her."

"So you decided to forget about her by sleeping around. Daniel, you and Molly haven't even been broken up for 2 weeks and you're already stepping back to the man you were before…

"Mom, stop. I'm a grown man okay?"

"Oh really? If you were a grown man, you'd be able to keep it in your pants for a least one weekend. You don't need sex to hide your feelings, son."

"Mom, please, I'm begging you, let it go." He pleaded not only with words but with his eyes and his mother noticed.

"So are you coming in today?" She inquired in an attempt to change the subject and out of curiosity.

"No. I have things to take care of."

"What kind of things?"

"Mom, stop. It's nothing. Let's just drop the whole thing." He implored and his mother surprisingly complied. The rest of the car ride was silent until they dropped him off in front of his building.

* * *

Letting himself into his apartment, he dropped his luggage on the floor and took out his phone, trying to call Molly but her phone was off. Running his hand through his hair in defeat, he sighed thinking this mishap over. Under different circumstances, he would have thought that his little Vegas escapade was funny, but there wasn't anything funny about the situation. The people he cared about were going to get hurt. Walking in the living area, he stopped in his tracks upon seeing Betty waiting for him on his sofa; arms folded, sporting that judging look he didn't like so much.

"Uh…Betty…hi…" He stuttered.

"Hi, Daniel." She said calmly.

"What…are you doing here?"

"To deliver my pep talk. Something told me you might need it."

"Betty, you don't have to do that. I was…we were both drunk."

"Daniel that's not an excuse. I know she's a beautiful woman but…"

"Betty…"

"Did you even think of the devastation this will cause Molly. She's sick and…"

"Molly and I are over!" He snapped angrily.

"I know, Daniel. But have you considered her point of view?"

"I want…wanted to be there for her. I need her in my life and she shut me out."

"Daniel, would you have loved to see Molly watch YOU through an extensive treatment that has a low success rate? Where the side effects would be too much for her to bear?"

"I wouldn't. But…I need her." He admitted

"Yeah, I could tell how much you needed her this weekend on _Fashion Buzz_." Betty sarcastically offered.

"Betty, please, I feel guilty as it is. I didn't mean to sleep with Wilhelmina or anyone in Vegas. I was just trying to…"

"You slept with Wilhelmina?" She questioned, her eyes widening in terror.

"Well, yeah. We met at the hotel bar after the shoot and she told me about William and I told her about Molly and then…"

"You went upstairs and made out in the elevator and then slept together? Wow, do people ever do dinner and flowers anymore?" Betty asked in disbelief, asking the last statement mainly to herself.

"I don't remember the elevator. Actually she invited me to hang with her for the night and we went to an art gallery and we met a couple of artists from Miami and we hung out with them and then we went to the casino and on Saturday, I woke up next to her."

"Oh, my God, Daniel! You slept with her? You had sex with Wilhelmina?"

"Yes. And that's not all." He admitted.

"What could you have possibly done which is worse than sleeping with your enemy?"

"You know that other thing that people do in Vegas?" Betty stared at him confusedly "When they are drunk…" He trailed off.

"Oh, no! No, Daniel please tell me you didn't! Please tell me you're joking!" She said shooting up from the sofa.

"I wish I could, Betty."

"Daniel how could you be so irresponsible?" She chided.

"Betty, I know I screwed up. I know I'm an asshole."

"Daniel, you're not an… a-hole per se…You were drunk."

"Betty, I've never been drunk to a point where I remember absolutely nothing. I always remember what happened. Wilhelmina has this theory that our drinks were spiked with drugs."

"Wait, Wilhelmina suggested that?" She asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"Daniel can't you see? This is all her doing. She probably drugged you."

"And married me? For what?"

"Lots of reasons. To secure her position at the company, to take half of your assets, to control _Mode_ and Meade. Hence marrying you."

"Betty, I never thought I would say this but this wasn't part of some scheme she cooked up. For once it's not her fault. We are both responsible."

"Daniel, how are you sure that this isn't part of Wilhelmina's evil deeds?"

"Trust me, Betty it isn't. You should have seen her face when she found out that we were married. She wanted to end the marriage as soon as we found out."

"She could have been acting."

"She wasn't."

"So your few hours of hanging with her and making out and sleeping with her, suddenly makes you the Wilhelmina expert, huh?"

"Betty, please…I know you're disappointed in me."

"So, what now?" She asked

"We are going to get our annulment forms and we'll be in court in a few days for a trial."

"A trial?"

"No, it's nothing big, Betty. It's just a formality. And then there'll be a hearing and this marriage will be over."

"So now in the mean time you're gonna hide it from everybody?"

"We have to keep this as discrete as possible. Now, Betty can I trust you with this?"

"Of course, Daniel."

"God, Molly probably hates me right now. She doesn't need this crap."

"Call her and explain."

"I tried. Several times. Her phone is off and it has been since yesterday."

"I'm sorry….so at _Mode_ it's gonna be business as usual?"

"Yeah."

"What about the press accusing you two of an affair?"

"I don't care about the press right now. All I care about is Hartley keeping his investment. My mother told me he wanted to see me and Wilhelmina this morning."

"So what about damage control?"

"Send a press release."

"Okay, what should I write?"

"'No comment' should do it."

* * *

Days seemed to drag on after the Vegas scandal took place and the media circus was still at its high, with theories developing about Daniel and Wilhelmina and how 'trusted sources' provided them with information about their 'affair'. Those ridiculous articles were accompanied by clever headlines that sent all the publications flying off the newsstands, pissing the pair off more and more. However, the pair's marriage was still under wraps and the only other people who knew were Betty, Marc, and of course, Daniel and Wilhelmina's lawyers. The pair spent the previous week trying to gather evidence that their marriage was null and void. Wilhelmina even had her lawyers subpoena the hotel to hand over surveillance tapes to prove that they were intoxicated when they got married. But they were still empty handed and the hotel refused, with a backing of their own legal department.

This particular morning, the pair found themselves in a courtroom sitting in front of a judge who didn't appear to have woken up on the good side of the bed. During which time, the only evidence they had about their state of mind during the marriage were their credit card receipts of their alcohol purchases. Their Vegas friends were nowhere to be found. They were completely untraceable. The only thing they had was their word that they were drunk and they hate each other.

"Ms. Slater, Mr. Meade." The judge began "I have spent some time this past week reviewing your case and there isn't substantial evidence here that you were inebriated, therefore lacking mental capacity of entering into a marriage. There are no witnesses to support your testimony."

"Your, honor, we asked the resort for the security tapes and they refused and my lawyer just filed a subpoena for the Resort's management to release the security tapes." Wilhelmina offered.

"How touching, Miss Slater." Said the grumpy salt and pepper haired judge "All I have to say is I'm sick and tired with you Hollywood people…"

"We're not from Hollywood, your hon-…" Daniel answered and Wilhelmina shot him a murderous glare that shut him up immediately.

"Thank you, Mr. Meade. As I was saying…I was looking at your company's history, I'm aware that your company was on a verge of bankruptcy almost 3 months ago. Nonetheless, your company was bailed out and your publications have sold quite well and I don't see a reason to pull out a stunt like this." The judge said, his gaze shifting about between the pair.

"Stunt?" Wilhelmina questioned, quirking her eyebrow.

"Yes, Ms. Slater, stunt." Said the judge "I am going to make an example out of you both; to teach you and all those famous people out there who treat this sacred institution of marriage as something to boost your magazine sales, album sales and increase your TV show's ratings. I'm going to postpone the trial for six months and sentence you both to a marriage." Both Daniel and Wilhelmina's eyes widened simultaneously as that statement.

"No!" Yelled Wilhelmina, jumping from her chair.

"Ms. Slater, I ask you to please control yourself in my courtroom. You are not the Editor-in-Chief here. This is a court of law." Spat the judge .She sat back down and leaned back in her chair, clearly starting to resent the old man.

"You will live together under one roof as a married couple for 6 months and I am ordering you to weekly marital counseling…"

"You can't do that, your honor!" Wilhelmina shouted shooting up from her chair once again.

"Watch me, Ms. Slater or should I say Mrs. Meade? And another outburst and you will be held in contempt."

"My apologies, your Honor." Wilhelmina said sitting back down.

"And since you're such a smart mouth, I'm extending the six months to eight months. You can thank your wife for that, Mr. Meade." He said the last part glancing at Daniel whose expression resembled that of a person who just found out that they have 3 months to live

"Neither of you are allowed to file for divorce for the next 8 months. There was no prenuptial agreement signed before the marriage ceremony took place, therefore you are considered married in community of property. You'll be married for 8 months and the only time you will be allowed file for divorce is if the other spouse is unfaithful. Should that occur, I will grant the other spouse the option of walking away with 75% of the unfaithful spouse's estate and pay alimony until the other spouse gets remarried. With your history of always fighting for control of your company, I think you'll play by my rules because I don't think you want to lose in this." The judge finished eyeing Wilhelmina. He was anticipating another outburst from Wilhelmina and was surprised by the look of astonishment and complete silence. When he glanced at Daniel, he was still paralyzed and the color had drained from his face.

"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife." The duo was brought back to earth by the loud banging of the gavel. Finally, Willie and Daniel looked at each other in horror. This couldn't be happening.

"Objection, your honor." Willie said calmly.

"On what grounds?"

"Your honor, I…WE request that Mr. Meade and I remain to live separately even though we are legally married."

"Request denied. And if you think you are going to cheat your way out of this, I'd like to see you try, I'm going to have people watching you." The judge declared and banged the gavel one more time causing Wilhelmina's ears to ring and a temporary paralysis to overcome her. Daniel's head was spinning as he was afraid that if he stood up, he would collapse.

"Bailiff, call the next case." The judge announced.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4:**

About a half an hour later, both Daniel and Wilhelmina had recovered from their shock of being sentenced to a marriage. Marching out of the courthouse, she lashed out at her lawyer over the phone.

"….I don't know why I'm paying you for your services because your advice and your shitty documents didn't work in there. And your absence made matters worse. I got completely fucked in there, do you hear me? F-U-C-K-E-D."

"Wilhelmina, calm down. You DID get married without signing a prenup and…"

"So? I don't want Daniel's money. I just want NOT to be married to him."

"That's what the judge wants. He wants to punish you both, make an example out of you."

"Get him to overturn the ruling." Snapped Willie

"I'm sorry. The judge has the final say and…"

"You have six weeks to get this overturned, Greg!" With that she shut off her phone as she reached her town car by which Daniel was waiting. He opened the door for her and she slid in.

"So, my place or yours?" He asked as the car pulled off.

"What?"

"The one roof we have to live under." He clarified

"The fact that you have the audacity to ask that, proves that you are a paramecium brain." Daniel sniggered.

"Wilhelmina, look I'm not a complete idiot, okay? I know my place doesn't meet your 'rich bitch' standards. I was just trying to lighten the mood."

"What's there to lighten, Daniel? Our reputation is in shit as we speak and as soon as the story breaks, our company will be in jeopardy…"

"I know. Do you think it'll be that bad if this got out?"

"Daniel, I know that PR sells but the economy has collapsed and everybody is affected. Now who the hell would want to do business with irresponsible owners? We could lose major advertising contracts."

"You're right. So all jokes aside, how do we go about this?"

"We'll just keep it a secret until it's time for us to divorce."

"Wilhelmina, aren't people going to get suspicious when I start sleeping at your condo?"

"You did liquidate your assets when the embezzlement took place, so we could say you're broke and me, being the heavenly woman that I am, took you in." She replied lightheartedly.

"Are you serious? You think the press is gonna buy that?"

"Please, the press will buy anything that I say."

"But people…"

"People are stupid. They believe whatever the media tells them. Fortunately for us, we do business with people and the media has a lot of interest in our business."

"Okay, but how do we explain, the elevator pictures?" He asked.

"We don't. You know what's better than a public relations calamity? mystery." She said wiggling her brows.

"Wow…that's actually a good strategy."

"For now. But if push comes to shove, we better go with the secret affair story. But suggestions are welcome."

"Your plan is excellent, I didn't have anything. So what do we do first? "

"The first thing you are going to do is pick up the phone." She suggested causing a confused look on Daniel's face.

"Phone? What for?"

"To call Molly and explain everything."

Letting out a heavy sigh, he threw his head back "Wilhelmina, I've tried calling her. Besides she and I…"

"She loves you, Daniel…and you love her. The reason she dumped you is because she doesn't want to hurt you, she's trying to protect you from watching her go through the gruesome treatment that might not work. Now call her and explain everything in detail so she won't get shocked when she finds this out from the media. Someone in her condition doesn't need the stress of this nature. She needs to focus on her health." Willie explained to a now astounded Daniel. He was completely taken aback. For the three years he's worked with her, Wilhelmina had never seemed to give a damn about anyone or anything else but _Mode_ , not even when it came to her daughter or her former believed to be son William. He couldn't help thinking that maybe way deep, deep, deep down, she felt. Her voice interjected his thoughts.

"But don't worry, we won't be married for long. I've called my lawyer and commanded him to get the judge to overturn."

"Good."

"Good. And when we get to the office, ask Marc for a key to my place." She said before casting her gaze out the window.

"Gosh, how am I gonna tell my mom? She'll figure it out soon."

"I don't know. That's not my problem." She stated simply, her gaze still transfixed outside the window.

* * *

After fighting their way through the paparazzi who were questioning them about their 'affair', Daniel and Willie managed to safely make it into the Meade publications building. The pair stepped off the elevator and onto the Mode floor making small talk about the magazine, and they were met by curious employees, snickering and pointing yet again. That had been happening a lot in the past week that the pair chose to turn a blind eye on it as they strode down the tube. Marc and Betty came strutting towards the pair, Betty grabbed Daniel by the arm and Marc grabbed Willie's arm gently and they led them to their respective offices.

"So, Willie you're not Mrs. Meade anymore why don't you look happy?" Marc asked gingerly as he closed the door of her office. She exhaled before taking a seat on her chair

"Because I still am, Marc." She said angrily.

"I don't follow. Weren't you at…"

"The judge was a total ass. He thinks we did it for publicity. He told us that he wanted to punish us for pulling out this stunt and he sentenced us to a marriage."

"A marriage?" Marc asked, completely astounded.

"For eight months. Eight months." She answered in disbelief.

"Eight months?"

"Eight fucking months under one roof…with him. God, I can't even…I don't even…"

"Can a judge do that?" He asked.

"Apparently he can, by the power vested in him." She offered angrily.

"So, how are you going to do this?" He asked.

"I think this is one of those times where I should consider higher power to get me out of this."

"Praying about it?"

"This doesn't need prayer, Marc. It needs God himself."

"Willie, can't your lawyer do something?"

"I commanded him to get the ruling overturned. I gave him six weeks to get it done. I can't live with Daniel Meade, Marc….I'll go to jail…for aggravated assault…or his murder. I just can't." She said.

Meanwhile, Daniel and Betty walked and talked as they made their way to his office.

"So you two are still married?" She whispered.

"Yes Betty, the judge ordered us to remain married for 8 months."

"8 months?"

"Yeah the judge thinks this was a publicity stunt and wants to make an example out of us. It would have been six if Wilhelmina didn't have an outburst in court."

"She had an outburst in court?"

"She jumped from her seat during the ruling and told him 'no'."

"Wow, Does Mrs. Meade know about this?"

"Which Mrs. Meade?"

"Daniel, that's not something to joke about." She reprimanded.

"I'm not joking, Betty. She is Mrs.-…"

They stopped in their tracks, eyes narrowing as Daniel's chair spun around to reveal an angry Claire, glaring at Daniel.

"Mom…what are you…"

"Why don't you take a wild guess?" She said, her eyes shifting to the fed ex package on his desk leading to Daniel and Betty's own gazes to follow.

"How could you be so stupid, Daniel?" His mother questioned, slowly rising up from his chair, her tone dripping with disappointment and defeat.

"Mom, what are you talking about?" He asked, not seeing how she found out already. His mom sauntered towards him, her frustration mounting with each spoken sentence.

"You married her? The woman who almost became your step mother…Tried to get your sister incarcerated for attempted murder… Broke up a 38 year marriage and tried to have your father's baby…Tried to keep a child that wasn't hers because she wanted to get her claws in this company. And you married her?"

"Mom, how do you know about…"

"Your wedding pictures, dear." She replied, gesturing to the _Fed Ex_ package that sat at his desk. "The photographer sent them with a post-it note attached. Apparently, you and the missus are a lot fun." She took one last look at him before walking off, heading for the door. Daniel grabbed her by the arm and stopped her before she could walk out

"Mom, please." He begged.

"What?"

"Look this was a mistake, okay? We were very drunk and…"

"Stop with the excuses, Daniel. I cannot believe that as we speak Wilhelmina Slater is my daughter-in-law. God the very thought of it is extremely depressing and sickening. Where is she anyway?"

"In her office, but mom please. For once, it's not Wilhelmina's fault."

"The hell it isn't!" She said angrily and turned on her heel. He grabbed her once more.

"Look we were both depressed and we started talking about…"

"How can you be so naïve, son?" Claire looked at him one more time, slowly shaking her head as if she felt sorry for him. She then jerked herself free of his grip.

"Mom!" He called to her but she simply walked out.

"That went well." Betty said sarcastically. She then reached for the open package and took out the photographs. Daniel walked over so he could have a look but before he could steal a glance at the first one, Claire's voice echoed in the office.

They looked at each other in terror as they realized what was happening. However, it was the sound of a crashing glass that sent them running to Wilhelmina's office. As they got closer, there was already a crowd of _Mode_ employees outside her office.

"GET OUT!" Screamed Wilhelmina, her nostrils flaring up.

"You are such a SLUT, Wilhelmina!" Claire screamed.

"Just Go, Claire! I didn't ask for this…"

"How you managed to get three different men to marry you, I shall never know. I guess sluts ARE lucky!"

"Mom!" Daniel came running into the office in which Marc had Wilhelmina by the arm in an attempt to restrain her. The sight of glass fragments horrified him but as he scanned each woman's face, there weren't any scratches on their faces which was a relief.

"Daniel, please get your mother out of here!" Wilhelmina warned breathing heavily, hair out of place. He immediately stepped between the women.

"Mom, please leave Wilhelmina alone. This wasn't entirely her…"

"You're defending this sick bitch?" His mother asked in disbelief.

"Mom…"

"Son, are you serious? You're married to her and you don't think this is a scheme?" Upon hearing Claire's accusation loud gasps echoed.

"Mom!...Mom!" He yelled at the top of his lungs that the veins on his neck stood out.

"Daniel, you're taking her side?"

"Please, leave her alone!"

"Daniel?" Claire said in disbelief.

"LEAVE. WILHELMINA. ALONE!" He pleaded sternly and firmly. His mother shook her head in defeat once more and left the office.

"Okay, people nothing to see here, c'mon get back to work." Marc chided to the staff as he made his way out of the office, giving the two some privacy. Daniel took a few steps toward the door, however as he was about to walk out he thought about their earlier talk. It would be extremely odd that he left his 'wife' after a fight with his mother. They had this new image to uphold. So he decided to hang back and just shut the door.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Daniel." She dismissed the concern quickly.

"Are you sure…"

"I said I'm fine!" She yelled and sighed before speaking again "Now that your mother has completely ruined the strategy by blurting out that we're married, we are going to have to jump to plan B."

"Okay."

"But we'll have to discuss it when you move in this evening because I'm busy right now. I'm going to have to prepare a damage control plan because I'm willing to bet that as we speak, somebody already sold the story somewhere. It won't be long before advertisers threaten to leave."

"Yeah, that's good…Uh…I'll go to my place and pack."

"That's a good idea."

"If you need anything, just call me." He realized how stupid he must have sounded. Wilhelmina would never need him or ask him for help. When she didn't reply and proceeded to type furiously on her laptop, it confirmed his stupid statement.

"Good." He said before leaving.

* * *

That evening Wilhelmina sat in the living room of the quiet apartment with her laptop and the Book, making notes on the articles that needed major editing. As she sat there working peacefully, enjoying the tranquil state of her home one last time before she would be forced to be roommates with Daniel Meade, a knock startled her. Upon opening the door, her neutral expression turned to that of annoyance at seeing that it was only Daniel wearing a smug grin. She opened the door wider as he entered dragging a large suitcase and carrying garment bags.

"Hey." He greeted.

"Hi, Daniel. I take you haven't asked Marc for the key yet?"

"Oh, I did. I just thought I should knock…as a courtesy."

"That's nice. But you shouldn't worry about doing anything for me as a courtesy." She retorted.

"I'll keep that in mind. I'll use the key next time."

"Is this all your luggage or you'll be getting some more from the car?"

"No, this is it for now. I'll get the rest of my stuff over here tomorrow."

"stuff?"

"Oh, don't worry, it's just my clothes."

"Okay. So when you were coming over were you followed by the paparazzi?" She questioned.

"No, my driver managed to lose them by taking a couple of side streets."

"Good. Now let's address the issue at hand."

"Which is?"

"Your mother blew our plan and blurted out that we're married. There's going to be a media circus as of tomorrow morning but I have talked to our advertisers and assured them that everything is fine."

"So we're good?"

"In the business department. Now remember when I suggested a plan B when push comes to shove? Now is that time." She said leading him to the living area.

"Okay, so what do we do?" He asked as he slumped on the couch adjacent to hers

"We are going to have to fake being happy for a while. Just to keep our business and our image." She suggested

"So, we'll send out a press release and…"

"No. A press release would interpret this as a publicity stunt." She answered quickly, cutting him off.

"So, we won't be giving any interviews?"

"No, we shouldn't be giving any interviews. But if the pressure becomes too much and _Meade_ gets hurt, then we will release a statement claiming that after the embezzlement, we bonded and we…fell in love and got married in a spur of the moment in Vegas." She explained with slight revolt upon uttering the last sentence.

"That's a genius idea but do you think the press is gonna buy it though? That we've supposedly fallen madly in love and got hitched in Vegas in such a short time?"

"They might, they might not. They are going to call it a publicity stunt. But what's important right now is keeping our company running. Which brings me to the next point…let's try not to fight too much at work."

"That's gonna be a walk in the park." He sarcastically said.

"I know." She said holding back a laugh "But we shouldn't over sell it, though because nobody is going to believe that I've become Mary Sue over night."

"Right"

"Look, all I'm saying is, if we're not happy about each other's ideas, or if we think the other is talking shit, let's not chew each other's ass too much in the conference room full of co-workers. Let's fight it out in the privacy our offices or here at home…my apartment. And that'll also give us an excuse to visit each other's offices and they'll eat up the fact that we are in our honeymoon phase."

"That's a…good idea."

"I know. If you have any ideas on how to play this, I'm listening."

"Uh…I don't."

"Good, now let's go over the house rules…uh, there's only caviar, water, and yoghurt in my refrigerator, so you'll just have to fend for yourself for food. You can sleep in the guestroom, no bringing over ladies of the night." Willie warned.

"That's not even an option, the judge specified that you're taking 75% of my assets if I sleep with anyone else." Daniel reminded her.

"Just…let's try to make this as painless as possible for each other." She begged.

"Meaning?"

"Stay out of my way and I'll stay out of yours." She affirmed.

"You got it."

"One more thing, I take my sleeping pills when I'm finished with the book which is usually around 11PM, so if you need anything, don't come to me 'cause I'll be as good as dead. Now go on and get settled." She said as she rose to her feet and gestured to the hallway.

Daniel picked up his garment bags and headed for the hallway.

"Hey, which room should I take?"

"The guest room. I think you know which door it is." She answered. However as Daniel walked toward the hallway, Wilhelmina stood up to follow him and direct him to the right bedroom.

"So?" He began as he pulled on the suitcase.

"What?"

"Do you not want to give any interviews because you're worried that people are gonna see it right away?"

"See what?"

"That you can't fake love? That's what you're afraid of?" He gave a small, slightly mirthless chuckle.

"I'm not afraid."

"Yes, you are." He taunted as he stopped in front of a door. He regretted his joke upon seeing her current expression.

"Look, maybe I have a hard time faking happiness. I couldn't do it with your dad but I'm going to try harder with you because this time the steaks are much higher. I'm not just doing this for myself, I'm doing it for Meade Publications and _Mode_ magazine because Meade Publications is in trouble and if it becomes public knowledge that this marriage is a drunken sham, the company will go dark for real this time because we will bleed advertisers!" She yelled.

"Wilhelmina, chill, I was just…" He said as he gripped the door handle.

"Daniel, not that one." Cried Willie.

"Why not?" He asked lightheartedly

"It's…it's messy." She said nervously rushing towards him. However, he pushed the door open despite her warnings and was taken aback by the sight in front of him. He was met by a familiar black and white motif and at least 2 dozen teddy bears. It was William's room. Soon the surprise he felt initially turned into regret which turned to compassion.

"Wilhelmina, I'm so sor-…"

"Use the following door. That's the guest bedroom." She said quietly and turned and walked back to the living room.

"Uh…Goodnight." He said before she turned and walked off.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5** **:**

The following morning, Daniel rubbed His eyes sleepily as he dragged his feet to the kitchen to make himself some coffee. He knew he was going to need it as he had trouble falling asleep the previous night. As he busied himself in the kitchen, all he seemed to think about was the nursery he accidentally walked into, it slightly ate him up that he found out her secret. That she was hurting deeply and he felt slightly guilty as he assumed that Willie sent back the baby stuff and repainted the room as soon as the maternity was discovered. He felt a little sympathy creeping up on him which was rather odd as he never thought he'd ever feel for Wilhelmina Slater.

As he worked the coffee machine, he strained his ears as he heard the unmistakable click of her heels. What time was it? He thought as he had assumed that it was still early for her to be awake and ready to go.

"Jesus, Daniel!" She exclaimed, stopping in her tracks. She walked in the kitchen with the newspaper; all dressed up in one of her signature business couture dresses and six inch heels.

"I'm sorry…I didn't mean to scare you." He said.

"You made coffee?"

"Yeah, you want some?"

"I'll pour myself a cup, don't worry."

"Wilhelmina, I'm not gonna put poison in your coffee. That's more your area." He teased but she wasn't amused. Instead she walked to the kitchen table and set the morning paper and walked back to the coffee machine to pour herself a mug.

"When you said your fridge was empty, you weren't kidding." He joked and this time she actually reacted with a scoff.

"I told you."

"Why are you up so early?" He asked, slurping his coffee.

"It's 7:30 AM and it's a Wednesday, last time I checked, I had a job." She replied sarcastically.

"What time are we supposed to leave?"

"You can leave anytime you please. I'm leaving in 15."

"Oh, I see. It's just…I assumed that we'd go to work together, you know, in order to sell this thing." She walked over to the table and sat on her chair and proceeded to flip through the paper.

"Well, I'm known for getting in the office on time and you've been known for liking your beauty sleep. You always get in the office after 9:30, that's why I never bother to put out a memo with anything before 10." She explained and then returned her gaze back to her paper and proceeded to read.

"Oh." He said flatly.

"Daniel, you can go to work at your usual time. You don't want people to think I have your balls now, do you?" She asked with a smirk, flipping onto the next page.

"Okay." He said, chuckling.

"Here it is."

"What?"

"Us…Outed as a married couple on page six." She answered. He rushed over to her side and read the paper.

 **Wil & Danny Married...Publicity Stunt or Publicity Stunt?**

The leading lady of fashion, Wilhelmina Slater and her sworn enemy, playboy Daniel Meade reportedly tied the knot…in Vegas. It is assumed that the couple married a week ago during a photo shoot trip to Las Vegas. According to a trusted source, the news was broken by none other than Claire Meade in the _Mode_ magazine offices in the mist of attacking Wilhelmina for marrying her son. The details of how this marriage came to be remain unknown as the entertainment industry was convinced that the pair hated each other. The couple's recent marriage is definitely going to raise eyebrows as people wonder if this is a publicity stunt or is it Wilhelmina Slater's meticulous strategy to get her claws in Meade Publications and take over the company once and for all? Either way, very few people are going to believe that these two are in this for love. There are about a 2 dozen questions regarding the pair's relationship and how it happened. The first would be Daniel's unlikely Plain-Jane girlfriend…..

"Damn it." Said Daniel.

"Shit!" She yelled, slamming down her coffee mug. "However, I'd be lying if I say I wasn't expecting this."

"Me too."

"Well, this is only the beginning. It's going to get worse."

"Are you gonna be okay? 'Cause I can shower really quickly and we can…"

"Daniel, it's fine. You're acting like this is the first scandal I've been involved in." She said with a mischievous grin.

"You're right." He said grinning.

"I was thinking…that maybe you and I can do lunch at least twice a week, just to maintain the illusion that we're…happy." She suggested with a hint of unease in her voice.

"That's actually a good idea. And we're obviously gonna go together to events and uh… we should probably have dinner together maybe once a week at a location where there's paparazzi." He added.

"Yeah, and when we're in public, which won't be often, I'm encouraging you to make your stupid jokes…I'll try to laugh or at least smile…not because they're funny but because I'll be amusing myself with your stupidity." She offered monotonously and Daniel chortled under the assumption that she was joking. A moment later, she stood up, walked over to the sink and dumped the coffee mug and then turned on her heel.

"See you at work." She said as she walked out.

"Goodbye, wifey." He said and she responded with a stifled giggle and an eye roll.

As she walked down the lobby, she could see about two dozen paparazzi, waiting impatiently outside. Thankfully, her town car and driver were on standby, but she had to get through the vultures first.

"Are you gonna need any help, Miss Slater?" Asked the door man.

"Thank you, Ben but don't worry, I can handle them." She said with a small smile as she put her sunglasses on.

"Very well." The door man replied as he pulled the door open for her.

She exited the building to a bunch of reporters, who began chattering as they rushed toward her, doing what they did best, asking a bunch of questions, no matter how foolish. She pushed her way through them, hoping they wouldn't get too aggressive.

Ms. Slater, is it true that you and Daniel Meade are married?

Is Daniel living with you?

Is this a publicity stunt?

Ms. Slater, were you having an affair with Daniel Meade?

"No comment." She replied calmly.

How long has your affair with Daniel been going on?

Where is Daniel now?

Did you deliberately plan the Vegas photo shoot so you can get married?

"No comment!" She yelled.

Where is your rumored husband?

Wilhelmina, is it true that Claire Meade threatened you with death?

"No comment and out of my way, please!" She yelled as she made her way through the crowd of journalists and to the waiting driver who opened the door for her and hurriedly pulled away. As they drove to work she kept on looking through the rear window for any cars that might have been following her, however so far the coast seemed clear…until her blackberry beeped signaling an incoming text message and she checked it and saw it was from Marc.

Marc: **Just got in the office and there's about 3 dozen paps outside. It's insane where r u?**

Wilhelmina: **I'm on my way. Is it bad?**

Marc: **Very. Is Pasty with u?**

Wilhelmina: **No**

Marc: **Why not?**

Wilhelmina: **I'll explain later.**

Marc: **I'll wait for you in the foyer by the entrance and escort you upstairs**

Wilhelmina: **Not necessary, Marc. I think I'm going to use the underground parking. I have no desire to face those vultures.**

* * *

A few minutes later, her driver pulled up to a parking spot in the massive underground parking structure. She stepped out of the car and walked the short distance that led her to the elevator. As she rode the elevator, it kept on stopping in various floors for other Meade Publications employees, and while a few individuals boarded the elevator, others halted and backed off upon seeing that she was one of the occupants. The elevator ride was a tense one, with everybody silent - this was going to go down as one of the longest elevator rides of her life. Eventually, the elevator signaled the designated 28th floor and she stepped off.

Walking in at _Mode_ , she noticed that the scene was nearly the same as the front of her building, the only difference was that the few employees' questions were internalized instead of being yelled out. If she didn't have any composure, she would have burst out in laughter as it was a little fun for her. She could see it on their faces and she was slightly enjoying it. She continued to stride confidently as she made her way down the tube to the reception desk, casting an icy glare to whoever dared to even steal a glance at her. Amanda handed her her messages and she turned on her heel and headed for her office. Walking in, she found Marc waiting on her.

"Hi, Willie." He greeted gleefully.

"Marc."

"So…uh did you see the _Post_ or any newspaper today?" He quizzed.

"Yes, I did and let's be honest, Marc, we both knew it was coming. This is just the beginning, the shit is about to hit the fan." She said as she sat in her chair and let out a heavy sigh.

"And did you see fashion buzz?"

"No. And frankly I don't care much."

"Congratulations, you and Daniel are the most talked about individuals or should I say couple in the country or better yet, the world."

"Really?" She asked, her brows knitted.

"I'm telling you, The New York Post, TMZ, Media Take out, Huffington Post, Essence magazine website, Allure magazine blog, fashion buzz blog…"

"Goddamn it!" She yelled slamming her hand on her desk.

"Okay." He drawled "So…how was your first night with your hubby?"

"Don't call him that! Please."

"Sorry, too soon. So really, what happened last night?"

"Nothing, Marc. I laid down the law and told him to stay out of my way and I'll do the same and he accepted." She explained lightheartedly as she powered up her computer. Her statement resulted in Marc's face to fall.

"So that's the plan?" He asked with a dash of disappointment.

"Meaning?"

"I mean, now that you've been sentenced to this marriage, are you gonna let the public see that it's not real? Are you sure that the image of the…"

"Marc, I'm fully aware that this company just took a major hit and we can't lose advertisers. I know this is the worst time to have a scandal of this sort and magnitude."

"I know you know, Willie. But today you didn't come to work with your supposed significant other. Don't you think that's gonna make it kind of obvious?"

"Daniel always waltzes in here after almost two hours after I get here. I told him to stay back and leave at whatever time he pleased 'cause I didn't want to seem emasculating."

"He bought that?"

"Of course he did. I was serious."

"Oh…"

"What, Marc?"

"I mean, Willie, do you hate him that much? That you can't at least pretend?"

"We talked about it. In fact, I came up with a plan…We'll fake the honeymoon stage but we'll keep things 'professional' here at the office. We'll do lunches and dinner so we can be photographed together…just so we can keep our advertisers and maintain our revenue." She explained.

"That's a genius idea."

"I know."

"Moving onto today's agenda…Gaby Polanski from Allure magazine wants to set up an interview with you and Daniel, Suzuki called about the same matter, Essence magazine also wants an interview. _The View_ people called to inform you that a guest spot has opened up and they would love it if you and Daniel could fill in the spot and talk about the 'wedding issue'."

"Marc, do any of these have anything to do with actual _Mode_ or Meade Publications business?

"Yeah, Jenny from Prada called and she wants you to call her back. And Cal wants to see you and your hubby up stairs at 11AM."

"What did I say about calling him that?"

"Sorry."

"It's okay, Marc. If there isn't anything of importance, I'd like to call Jenny now, please." Marc nodded and stood up "And Marc, I don't need to remind you that what we talked about stays within these walls."

"Of course, Willie." He replied without any hesitation and walked out.

* * *

Sat in her usual chair in the conference room during the creative meeting, Willie rolled her eyes time and time again as she caught the editors staring at her and Daniel every time she lifted her eyes from her folder. The meeting's agenda was definitely not the most interesting subject in the room. Daniel did an incredibly successful job at being nonchalant about the curious gazes. However, Wilhelmina had enough. She let out a frustrated sigh.

"What?" Wilhelmina asked irritably. However, no one dared to answer "Come on what is it?"

"Well, Wilhelmina, it seems like…people…are shocked? I mean, they want to know…" Betty, who was taking minutes for Daniel explained nervously.

"Wilhelmina, I think everybody is still in shock over what Claire said yesterday and now the newspapers and Suzuki and all these entertainment shows are saying. People just want to know if it's true." Sheila clarified, rescuing the poor girl.

"Oh. Yeah, it's true." Wilhelmina confirmed.

"Yeah, we're married." Daniel added.

"Just…how?" Another mousy soul asked.

"Well, after everything that's transpired…Daniel and I started…seeing each other." She said confidently and upon seeing the confused, disbelieving expressions "Let me be more blunt, we started sleeping together."

"Yeah, we screwed a lot…and we developed feelings for each other. And while we were in Vegas I came up with the idea…"

"Stupid idea, baby." Corrected Willie with a convincing smile.

"Yeah, you're right, babe." Daniel said with a nervous laugh. "But it worked." He said and then flashed her a flirtatious grin.

"Was it before the Vegas shoot or was it a spontaneous thing?" Questioned another editor.

"All this time you two were having an affair?"

"What happened to…Mindy, Daniel's girlfriend?"

"And that's all we're going to say at this time, because in truth it's none of your business. Now please let's get back to the agenda." Wilhelmina said shutting down the conversation and went back to the agenda. The meeting went on for about 30 more minutes.

Shortly after the meeting was adjourned, Claire stormed into Daniel's office and shut the door behind her.

"Please tell me what I just heard is not true. You weren't sleeping together were you?"

"Where did you…you heard that already?" Daniel asked surprised.

"Seriously, Daniel? Have you taken a look around you lately?" His mother asked, cynically.

"Yeah, stupid question. Anyway, it's not true, we just said that to amuse them…now go on and run along and shout about it all over the office and it'll be on the papers tomorrow morning." Daniel said cheekily.

"What's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me? I'm mad at you!" He said irritably.

"Why?"

"Are you serious? You outed us."

"Well, I was shocked…"

"Willie and I had a plan…we were going to do this undercover for as long as it took and we were going to divorce without anybody knowing. Because whether you believe it or not, this was a drunken mistake, and you've ruined the plan."

"For that, I'm sorry." Claire said solemnly.

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it now." Daniel said and refocused his attention to his monitor. Claire folded her arms, clearly annoyed by his attitude.

"So is this unforgiving attitude part of the package deal you made with the devil when you asked his daughter's hand in marriage?"

"Okay, Mom." He drawled "Apology accepted."

"That's better." She said with a smile.

"Can I please get to work now?"

"Well, Cal wants to see you and Wilhelmina." She said before walking out.

* * *

Wilhelmina and Daniel sat beside one another in front of Hartley's desk waiting for him. She tapped her foot furiously as she checked her watch once again.

"Shit! He calls us in here and then makes us wait a whole 15 minutes." She mumbled. Daniel silently agreed.

"Sorry" Cal's voice rang as he walked in the office. They both knew he wasn't sorry one bit but he was just being polite. He circled the desk and sat on his overstuffed leather chair. "I was just taking a very important call from London."

"What did you want to speak to us about?" Willie asked, getting straight to it.

"Your marriage…just what were you two thinking? I just pulled this company out of the water about a month ago and now you do this. It's going to be a media crap storm and then your advertisers are going to leave, because who the hell wants to associated with a damn circus?"

"Cal, relax, this whole marriage is a…" Daniel spoke in an attempt to calm Cal down but he was cut off by Willie.

"A big spontaneous, shotgun wedding and it was very sudden. We know…"

"Damn right it is very sudden! I had no idea you two were even seeing each other."

"It happened when you were in Canada and we married last week." Willie explained. "Don't worry, this is not going to affect your investment because with this publicity, it's guaranteed that…"

"I'm not in entertainment, I'm a business man, so the 'No-publicity-is-bad-publicity' mantra doesn't work for me. You wanna convince me that I'm not going to lose my money, do it at the next sales meeting."

"Cal, don't worry, Wilhelmina and I aren't really…." Daniel started.

"Going to let this affect the company and _Mode_." Wilhelmina said cutting Daniel off again. "We promise." She assured the old man and stood up and stalked out of the office. Daniel followed suit.

* * *

He followed her to her office and closed the door behind him. Wilhelmina was already calmly seated at her desk with a loupe in hand, looking for imperfections on the Vegas shoot proofs.

"What was that?" Asked Daniel.

"That was me saving our asses and the company's ass." She answered dismissively.

"What are you talking about?" He asked as he plunked himself on the chair.

"I'm talking about Cal thinking he owns our asses. If I wanted to report every move I make to silent partners, I would have suggested an IPO."

"So that's why you lied? Because of your personal principle of not wanting to be 'owned'?"

"He's right, he pulled us up before we sank but he doesn't need to know everything that happens here, especially our personal lives. He was supposed to be a silent partner but as we…or should I say I have learnt, the man doesn't know the meaning of the word."

"Look, I know Cal can sometimes be…"

"When your crush on him is over, you'll see that he's not the upstanding man you assume he is. He's a control freak and guess what; control freaks like being in control. He's our ally, not our friend, Daniel."

"First of all, I don't have a crush on Hartley, and second, he may be an ally to you but he is a friend of the family."

"Uh-huh. Well, first of all I didn't mean it like that, I meant an admiration crush. Like with your brother and father, you've got to admit, he kind of has a bit of Bradford in him. You've always secretly loved being a formal business guy that people respect."

"I…"

"And second, if he's so close to your family, then why the hell is 1980 last time the Hartleys and the Meades spent time in the same room?" She said as her gaze skidded back to the proofs. Daniel huffed and walked off, however he was stopped by her voice

"In case you've forgotten, today is our first marital counseling session."

"Yeah, At 6PM. I didn't forget."

"Good…Wanna…uh…go together?" He asked.

"I think we should." She replied dismissively.

* * *

Sitting in their court appointed therapist's office that evening, the pair listened to the man's introduction and his long explanation of the sanctity of marriage and why they need to attend the sessions, except for the judge's orders.

"I have to say, your situation is highly unusual." Said Dr Kruczynski.

"Being sentenced to stay married? No shit" Said Daniel.

"Well, this was the first time a ruling like this has been made regarding couples who married under such circumstances." The therapist clarified.

"Yay for us, we're going to set precedent." Wilhelmina sarcastically quipped and the doctor let out a small chuckle.

"I usually counsel couples who love each other, who want work things out and want to stay married. You two don't seem to like each other, you are not interested in working things out and you don't want to remain married."

"Bingo!" The pair dryly exclaimed.

"So you see that it'll never work out. So how about you tell the judge that and we would be out of this mess." Said Willie.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Mrs. Meade. But what I can do is help you make this period of your life…bearable."

"How?" She asked.

"Well, you two are in a business partnership and that partnership is similar to a marriage. And like most marriages, miscommunication plays a role in a breakdown of a marriage. And my first suggestion to you is to start communicating with each other."

"How can we do that? I can't talk to her." Daniel said, gesturing at Wilhelmina.

"Excuse me?" Spat Willie.

"Why not?" Doctor Kruczynski interjected.

"Because she's mean, she criticizes everything I do, she hates me, she blames for everything, she's emasculating."

"That's a goddamn lie. I'm not emasculating."

"So you're not denying the other stuff?" Daniel asked in disbelief.

"Oh, shut up!" She snapped

"Okay. Uh…Wilhelmina, Daniel, my job is to help you resolve your problems in a calm and healthy manner. Before we get to that, how about you tell me about yourselves. Wilhelmina?"

"You said you did research on us, what more do you need to know?" She asked.

"I read facts and rumors about you. That doesn't mean I know you at all. So tell me a little about yourself, don't worry it can be something from your public profile, you'd be surprised how the story changes when it's told by the individual themselves. So?" Wilhelmina remained quiet. "How about you, Daniel?"

"Well, I'm uh…35, born and raised here in the city, second born, went to Harvard, now I'm Editor-In-Chief of _Mode_ and I own 50% of Meade." Wilhelmina snorted.

"What? How about we talk about how you became Editor-In-Chief, and how you came to own 50% of my father's company, huh? Let's talk about that!" Daniel practically screamed.

"It might not have been a traditional and legitimate way to go about it but at least I worked for it."

"Yeah, laying on your back." He deadpanned.

"You know what, fuck off!" She screamed.

"Okay! Okay!" The shrink interjected "You two went off course for a moment there."

"She started it." Daniel said defensively.

"And now let's end it. Wilhelmina, what about you tell us something about yourself."

"Well, I was born and raised in Long Island and Later in DC. I was an only child, so I didn't grow up with the pressure of outdoing my elder, better and smarter sibling." She said glaring at Daniel. "I graduated from Colombia, at which I got in based on my academic performance and not because of my father. I'm a real magazine editor and I own 50% of Meade Publications."

"Oh, uh and what about your childhood?"

"What about it?"

"You know, in most cases, the dots are connected to…" Dr Kcruczynski began.

"Why don't you leave my childhood out of this and do your goddamn job?" She snapped.

"Wilhelmina!" Daniel yelled.

"Go to hell, Daniel!" She fired back.

"Okay, okay." The therapist interjected. "Look, let's try and take it slow, shall we? How about how this marriage came to be?"

"We got drunk and married in Vegas." Replied Wilhelmina.

"And that's it." Daniel added.

"How about you walk me through it?" The therapist asked.

* * *

Wilhelmina unfastened her coat as soon as she walked in the dark apartment and walked over to turn on the fire place. She huffed angrily as she shed her coat and flung on the couch and walked to the bar area to indulge herself into the type of therapy that seemed to work better than any other. The counseling session ended in disaster as she left in the middle of the session after yet another argument with Daniel. However, as she filled the tumbler with scotch, she stared long and hard at it, thinking how this twisted form of therapy is what got her into her situation in the first place. Through some willpower, she turned on her heel and walked to the kitchen.

As she worked the coffee machine, she heard Daniel calling out to her and she could hear his footsteps getting closer and closer. Barging in the kitchen, he sighed in relief at seeing that she was home. He began to unbutton his coat waiting for her to say something; however, she didn't say a word, let alone look in his direction.

"Well, in case you were wondering, I took a cab home…since you took the car after ditching the session." Daniel spoke nervously.

"I wasn't wondering."

"Oh. Fine, then." He said, a part of him slightly upset that she didn't care. "Wilhelmina, about what happened back there…" He tried again.

"Forget it." She replied incredulously.

"I didn't mean to…I didn't mean what I said back there. I didn't mean to upset you."

"You expect me to believe that you didn't mean to upset me?" She asked slamming the mug on the countertop.

"Yeah, I just heard it. It sounds ridiculous." He said with a nervously chuckle.

"You didn't mean to say what every single human being in this industry is thinking? That I'm an evil bitch from hell who fucked her way to the top? That's what you think and that's all you're ever going to see. You're the victim and I'm the bitch."

"Look, I was just angry and…"

"Stop! Just stop. Stop using anger as an excuse. You hate me and I know it. But if you're apologizing because you're feeling guilty….don't worry, I'm not crazy about you either." She said before slurping her coffee.

"I wasn't trying to apologize out of guilt…I was just trying to…"

"Don't. Whatever you're trying…don't bother." She said calmly and gave him a scathing look before storming out of the kitchen with her coffee mug in hand.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6:**

True to her word, Wilhelmina stayed out of Daniel's way when they were at home and he returned the favor. However, it was a different story in the office with Daniel using the creative meetings to change particular concepts and implement his own less appealing ideas knowing Wilhelmina wouldn't object to them in the presence of the staff. He knew that her ideas were way better and just wanted to get under her skin, still slightly upset that she treated him like he didn't even exist at home.

For a week, he had been coming up with last minute changes on the current issue and Wilhelmina just took it and didn't bring it up when they were at home. Eventually, this particular morning, something inside of her snapped after he suggested a reshoot of the Inside front cover. Soon after the meeting was adjourned, she followed him to his office. He walked in and she followed closely behind him. Just then, Betty appeared with a number of documents.

"Not now, Betty. We're busy." Willie spat and slammed the door on her face.

"You don't have to be so nasty to her." Daniel chided.

"What the fuck was that?" She whispered harshly, ignoring his comment.

"What?"

"You think I don't see what you're doing? For the past week you have been purposefully changing my ideas in front of the staff knowing that I can't just tell you to go to hell in front of our subordinates. What the fuck, what the hell are you trying to prove?" She asked.

"I'm not trying to prove anything to you. In case you have forgotten, I am the Editor-In-Chief of this magazine too, and if I want to implement my ideas...I goddamn will." He replied.

"So, all these less than tasteful ideas you've been coming up with are better than mine? What was wrong with the IFC proofs? Do you realize that a reshoot requires money?"

"Of course, I know that. But I had ideas of my own that you refused to..."

"Bullshit! This has got nothing to do with your goddamn ideas and you know it. You're just trying to give me hell and make my life a misery. You're trying to stick it to me for some reason." She accused.

"And how does it feel being on the receiving end?" He questioned.

"Annoying. That's what it feels like...because I'm going to conduct prepress on the entire book and there's no way it is going to print without both our signatures. So you're just wasting your time and mine. And remember…I'm Wilhelmina fucking Slater." She breathed.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" He asked with a simple shrug of his shoulders.

"It means that if you think you're doing me a favor by keeping this sham under wraps, then you don't know who you're dealing with. Because I have absolutely no problem- not a single one with telling the truth of how this 'marriage' came into existence. I'm the villain and that'll actually work in my favor 'cause scandals are expected of me. And you? You're the semi-reformed playboy turned Editor-In-Chief and loving and devoted boyfriend to a kindergarten teacher. I have a feeling that the scandal won't work so well in your favor. You are already a fuck up" She explained.

"Are you threatening me? Because you own 50% of this company, if I get bad publicity and company loses advertising, you also lose." Daniel challenged folding his arms confidently.

"You're right, I own 50% of the company. But here's the thing, HUBBY…This corporation isn't MY father's legacy." She said decisively. Daniel's confidence seemed to evaporate as she breathed those words which cut him deeply. Seeing the expression on his face, she turned and walked off and she stopped by the door. "And uh…our lunch this afternoon…consider it cancelled." With that, she sashayed and disappeared.

* * *

Lounging on the couch, watching NASCAR that evening, Daniel kept glancing at the clock, clearly exasperated by his wife who hadn't returned for the evening since their fight earlier that day. Finally, he heard the door lock clicking and she strode in, and he caught her rolling her eyes at seeing him there.

"Hi." She greeted with a voice that was barely a whisper.

"Hey…uh where have you been?"

"At dinner with Laz and Jack." She replied.

"Why didn't I know about it?" He asked.

"They wanted to meet with me. It was just about this…marriage, they just wanted to know what's going on. Don't worry, _Mode_ is still keeping Proenza Schoeler."

"How come they just wanted to meet with you alone?" He questioned, in an attempt to get under her skin.

"Relax; I wasn't planning any takeover behind your back. And I didn't think I needed to punch the clock with you about my comings and goings in my own goddamn house." She answered before stomping off.

"That's not…I didn't mean it to sound like that. However, I wouldn't put that past you." He challenged. That made her stop in her tracks.

"Excuse me?" She said with swift, melodramatic turn.

"You heard me."

"You really think I want to take over a company that's still vulnerable and sinking in shit? That proves you really know nothing about business, do you Daniel?" He realized how idiotic he must have sounded, however he decided to turn the tables on her.

"Oh, c'mon. Not the 'you're incompetent, you were handed this job on a silver platter.' shit again. Don't you think it's time you found some new material?" He asked folding his arms, feigning confidence.

"Why the hell would I search for 'new material' when I could just tell you the truth?" She replied with a smirk.

"Truth? Wanna talk about truth how about the fact that you're not as irreplaceable as you think? You're jealous."

"Jealous?" She said with a scoff.

"That I'm getting better at this job. It's not rocket science, you know. I managed to produce an issue that was the best selling without you."

"A tribute issue to a man who owned a company that owns the bestselling titles in America? That issue would have sold with just pictures of Bradford in it. That's not talent, that's not being good, that's called a fluke. People just wanted to read about the forgotten founder. People bought that issue out of sympathy." She said calmly.

"Oh, yeah? What about your failed issue when I went to player? You think-…" He began to shoot back, however he was cut off,

"The issue where your sister altered the sales figures to get on your good side to make you like her because she lost all of her friends? That issue?" She questioned coyly. He widened his eyes in shock "You didn't know that, did you? Oh, my God!" She laughed mirthlessly "You actually believed that you were better than me? You believed that?"

"It doesn't matter, at least I'm learning how to run a magazine instead of sleeping my way to the top."

"What did you just say to me?" She questioned, lifting her brow as she began to stride towards him.

"You slept and blackmailed your way to the top. Is there an echo in here?" He replied confidently, not wanting her to see the kind of fear she induced in him.

"Slept my way to the top? Is that what you think of me? Just because you're a white American with a dick, you think you have the right to label women?" She questioned, moving

"That's not what I meant and you know it." He guiltily defended himself. She shook her head with a look of disenchantment.

"No wonder Sofia Reyes used you as her test subject. You're a fucking asshole. You think that women of color are only there to serve you. You actually thought she was some dumb secretary who makes coffee. Do you ever wonder how things would have turned out if you hadn't insulted her like that? Or do you ever wonder what would have happened if your father had given the job to the right person?" She spat, her voice rising with each sentence.

"Wilhelmina…"

"If a man gets to the top, it is assumed it's because of hard work and determination. If it's a woman, she fucked her way to the top? And how exactly did I do that in such a female dominated industry? The few bosses I HAVE EVER had in this industry had been women and just between the two of us, I don't find women attractive in that manner. Sure, I fucked Bradford but I assure you that was the first and the only time that I slept with a boss to secure my position."

"Look, Wilhelmina…"

"Sure, I hopped on your father's dick to get what I and everybody else knew I deserved. But before that, everything I have ever gotten, I've gotten through pure merit. And you…how did you get to the top? You didn't. You were placed there because the one person who was smart enough to head Meade Publications if Bradford died or was incapacitated, was believed to be dead!" She screamed, causing his expression to return to that of anger.

"SHUT UP!" He exclaimed.

"You were finally living your purpose; the spare. That's what you were and what you'll always be. And what happened when Alexis came back and she and Bradford patched things up? He didn't give two shits about you. We lost more than a dozen advertisers because they didn't want to be associated with the 'circus freak' and you trying to be the good brother, you let them walk. And what do you know, Alexis puts on her charm and gets them back and she was the hero. And YOUR FATHER demoted you from best man on the spot."

"Wilhelmina, shut the fuck up!" He yelled but that just edged her on.

"Oh? The truth is not working in your favor now is it? You can call me every name there is; evil, bitch, whore, devious, every name on the dictionary and the internet, you can go as far as calling me the devil himself. But don't you DARE tell me or even imply that I don't deserve to be where I am." She said venomously and with one last look, she turned on her heel walked off leaving his defeated form. He slumped back on the couch, hurting from her cruel words, but what hurt most was not what and how she said it, it hurt because it was true.

* * *

The following morning Daniel walked into the kitchen and to his surprise Wilhelmina was sitting at her island drinking a cup of coffee while reading her newspaper.

"Good morning." Said Daniel.

"Morning." She replied.

"Wilhelmina, I just want to say…I'm sorry. Last night, I…"

"It's not necessary, Daniel." She said simply, cutting him off without her gaze leaving the paper. Daniel opened his mouth to protest but Wilhelmina was still reading the paper, and it was painfully obvious that she really didn't want an apology from him, let alone talk about the previous night. So, he walked over to the refrigerator to try and fix himself some breakfast.

If it wasn't for Daniel's utensils cluttering every now and then, the entire apartment would have been completely silent. As he proceeded to cook, he paused and turned to her.

"Uh…today we have our counseling session."

"At 6PM. I'll be there." She assured.

"Yeah...Wanna go together?"

"Sure."

"How about this morning?" He asked.

"Yeah, we can ride together." She said turning the page.

"Good."

"God, I can't believe I'm going to spend 50 minutes a week with a therapist who's going to give me advice on how to work on something I do not want." She said monotonously before taking another sip from her mug.

"I know." Daniel said with a nervous chuckle, successfully masking the inexplicable stab of hurt that went through him when she asserted that she didn't want this. For a week and a half he had been using their recent sham of a marriage as a comic relief in his tumultuous personal life. It slightly saddened him that she hated him so much that they couldn't even laugh about it; she found no humor in the situation. And it wasn't secretly fun like he had imagined, after he had recovered from the shock by the judge's decision, he entertained the idea of getting on her nerve and antagonizing her every chance he got. But now it seemed that he was the one who was getting hurt as Wilhelmina kept mouthing off and telling him things he did not wish to hear.

Shortly after 18:00, the pair sat in front of the therapist who had realized that he had his work cut out for him following their previous session. Now he was attempting to get them to be amicable with each other, and as the session was getting warmer, the doctor felt like he was getting through. After he got them to each tell him about their day, he pushed a little further.

"So tell me, what do you like about each other?" The shrink asked.

"What?" Daniel scoffed.

"There must be something you admire about each other."

"I don't think so." Wilhelmina answered quickly.

"I find it disturbing that people who head a multimillion dollar corporation would have such dislike for each other." Commented the therapist.

"Well, Daniel and I have a history." Willie reminded.

"I'm well aware of that but, Mr. and Mrs. Meade, did you know that a business partnership is like a marriage?"

"How?" Daniel questioned.

"You make an agreement to build something special, hoping it will last forever and also hoping that you will grow with it and nurture it…like this partnership of yours. However by what I've seen and heard from you, all that is there is the fighting for control and abuse of power in your company."

"Well, Daniel and I didn't become business partners by choice." Replied Willie.

"That's true. We were sort of forced into this partnership." Daniel added in agreement.

"Maybe you two can change that." The doctor suggested.

"Are you serious?" Daniel questioned.

"Did you two ever think of getting along for the sake of your company? Did you ever wonder how things would have turned out if you two actually got along and ran your business like adults, instead of spoiled individuals with deep underlying issues?"

"Issues?"

"I might have said that you're a different couple but that doesn't mean that I can't read that you two have issues. I know you two have stated that you don't want to be married to each other, but you can get something out of this. You can gain a real partnership or better; friendship." At that suggestion, both Daniel and Wilhelmina descended into laughter.

"I don't know how the fame game works, but I know how business works. My job as your counselor is to give you advice and that is; if you want to have Meade Publications as your legacy…stop this."

"What?" Asked Willie.

"This image; this little internal political instability image that you portray to the media."

"How do we…stop it then?" Asked Daniel.

"You can focus on what you like about each other instead of your flaws. Look for strengths in each other instead of imperfections and rely on each other instead of working as two separate entities."

"Easy to say, but not so easy to implement." Willie replied.

"Okay, you can start by telling me about what you admire about each other. Wilhelmina, why don't you begin?" The doctor asked. However, Wilhelmina, hesitated and narrowed her eyes as she thought hard.

"How about you, Daniel? What qualities do you admire about Wilhelmina?"

"Uh…well, you know…she's obviously smart, beau-…uh creative…uh, she's very determined and she doesn't give up…I guess that's it." Daniel finished nervously.

"And Mrs. Meade?"

"Uh…" Wilhelmina shook her head and offered a shrug in response. "I guess, I never thought about it."

"Okay…how about I give you a task...and that will be to pay a little more attention to each other starting after you leave here, find good things that you like about each other and report to me at our next session."

"Okay." Said Daniel.

"Good." Willie replied with a shrug.

"And remember, there is absolutely no one right or wrong in this exercise. If one of you claims that you didn't see anything positive about the other, it won't mean that you're wrong or you have failed the exercise. You don't have to fabricate anything at all, do this honestly."

"Thanks, Doc." Daniel said getting up.

"Just spend time and get to know each other a little better." Suggested the therapist.

* * *

Following a tense dinner after their therapy session, the pair rode in the town car quietly with Wilhelmina typing ferociously on her blackberry and Daniel staring out the window his mind pondering their counseling session. He turned to look at her and spoke.

"So…you really don't like a single thing about me?" Daniel began. Wilhelmina swiftly turned to him and sighed.

"Daniel, back there…I wasn't trying to be mean to you." Wilhelmina said with a slightly apologetic tone. Daniel snorted in response.

"Yeah, right."

"Believe it or not, I wasn't. It's just that…Ever since you came into _Mode_ , I saw you as an obstacle and as time went on I looked at you as an enemy. And I guess I saw only that. I focused on your flaws and imperfections that I never got to think of you as anything but that."

"Oh." Was all he could offer. Following another spell of silence in the car, Wilhelmina spoke up.

"Hey, mind if we make a quick stop?" She asked Daniel.

"Uh…of course not."

"Hey, Edgar, a little detour; stop by the pharmacy please."

Daniel waited in the car for Willie who had walked inside the pharmacy, emerging from the building a few minutes later. She opened the car door and slid in next to Daniel who couldn't help his gaze from shifting about, trying to read the bag that housed her prescribed medication. A few moments after their car pulled away, Daniel finally succumbed to his curiosity.

"So…how long have you been taking sleeping pills?" He questioned. To his surprise, she replied.

"I started a few weeks ago…shortly after Connor left, to be precise."

"Oh…don't you think you should…I don't know…maybe, see somebody about that. I mean, it might help, rather than stuffing yourself with sleeping pills. Don't you think?"

"You do think that, don't you?...With your vast experience with relationships and all?" She sarcastically offered.

"I wasn't trying…I was just…you know what forget it. Don't know what I was thinking." He said monotonously as he averted his gaze back to the window.

* * *

A few days later, Daniel sat across his mom at lunch to give another update about his hellish life with Wilhelmina. He spoke in between bites as he recounted his personal hell, all the while stuffing himself with rather large chunks of steak, much to Claire's concern.

"Slow down, Son." She warned.

"Oh, Sorry. It's just that, there's no food at Wilhelmina's place." He spoke in between chews.

"That doesn't surprise me one little bit. Anyway, continue…what did your 'marriage counselor' say? Is he finally going to tell that judge that this really was a mistake and have him release you from this dreadful sentence?"

"Actually, he said that we needed to make a list of things we admire about each other." He replied.

"Making a list of things you admire about Wilhelmina Slater…that's gonna be a breeze." Claire sarcastically offered. "And a very short list, I must say." She deadpanned.

"Yeah, tell me about it." He chuckled as he stuffed himself "And that's not all. He told us to try and get to know each other." Claire snorted.

"What is this damn doctor trying to do? Is he aware of your history with that vindictive woman?"

"Apparently, he thinks that it will help us be better business partners."

"Well, son, it's good that you know by now that Wilhelmina Slater doesn't do partnership. She works alone. For all we know, this could be one of her twisted plans that she orchestrated to take everything you've got and leave you high and dry."

"I don't think this was her plan or anybody's for that matter. It was just a mistake."

"That woman doesn't make mistakes. What makes you so sure that this isn't her plan?" His mother questioned.

"'Cause she can't stand me. She really doesn't want this."

"Well, you don't either. So why do you sound and look so depressed when you say that?"

"I…I'm not. It's just that…this incident, the whole situation is not as funny as I pictured. I was hoping to annoy her, make her miserable but her entire attitude towards this marriage makes me reflect on my own misery, you know."

"You're talking about Molly?" She asked.

"Yeah." He whispered.

"You still love her…"

"She's sick. She should be focusing on getting better and not having to hear and read about my marriage to Wilhelmina, seeing our pictures…it's too much for someone in her state."

"Son, I hardly think that Molly is an avid reader of _People_ and _Us Weekly_. I think she will be just fine."

"Yeah, I hope so."

* * *

On a Friday night, after a long day at work, Daniel went out to a bar with Becks. As the two friends played pool, catching up, a leggy redhead gave Daniel a flirtatious smile from across the room. Daniel nodded in acknowledgement and smiled back nervously.

"You can't do that, player." Said Becks, chuckling.

"C'mon Becks, I was just smiling back." Daniel protested before taking a swig of his beer.

"You can't do that. You're married now." His friend clarified.

"Just because you're married doesn't mean you can't look. I've had more women than 20 men have in a life time. I'm done. Not that I need to defend myself but I'm not really married."

"You're out, drinking in a bar with your friends, making eyes at hot women while the missus is sitting at home…sounds like a real marriage to me." Teased Becks.

"Just play man…" Daniel said irritably.

"But seriously, though…if this isn't real, why don't you bang other chicks?"

"Because the judge said that if one of us sleeps with another person while we're married, one of us walks away with 75% of the other's assets. I can't let that happen."

"How's she gonna know again? Is she following you or something?"

"No. But the woman is smart, she probably hired some PI to watch me as we speak. For all I know that girl could be a honeytrap set up by her."

"So what? You're gonna be a monk for all this time?"

"Well, if that's what it takes to keep my father's legacy, that's what I'll do."

"Tell me, man. Why are you so adamant about keeping your old man's legacy all of a sudden? He treated you like shit and only cared about Alex."

"Look…things changed between us around when I started at _Mode_ , okay?" Daniel snapped.

"Whoa, Danny." Becks said throwing his hands up "I didn't mean it like that…I was just saying. On a serious note, though, Danny boy…why don't you just fuck her?"

"Who, the redhead…Becks, I told you…" Daniel began to protest.

"No, I mean Wilhelmina Slater."

"Are you out of you mind?" Daniel asked.

"Danny, remember back in our frat where we used to talk about who we'd like to fuck in the big 6? And the majority of the brothers would pick Wilhelmina Slater, yourself included?"

"It was a hypothetical situation, when we were 19 year old horny college kids."

"But the situation isn't hypothetical anymore, player. You're living the dream…you're in…all you gotta do is smooth talk her sexy caramel ass and, BAM, you're in her snatch."

"You're crazy."

"Think about it…this is your wife, Danny boy. You are meant to bang her. I think this is what they mean with divine intervention…"

"Divine intervention?"

"Hear me out…I'm not a religious guy, but I really think the Gods above saw how badly you've been wanting to bang this chick…maybe they saw the sexual tension and decided to grant you this opportunity…to marry and bang Wilhelmina fuckin' Slater. I don't care what you or anybody says, there was some higher power involved in this, man."

"Yeah, Becks…some higher power involved. We've got world hunger, endless wars, cancer, AIDS and all kinds of diseases and God decided to shift his busy schedule so I could BANG my enemy. He does work in mysterious ways doesn't he?" Daniel said, his tone dripping with sarcasm with every sentence uttered.

"Whatever, man" Becks said with a chuckle, before bending to hit the ball. However he looked up once more "I don't really see the harm in this…the chick's a classy slut and you're a bona fide man-whore. You fuck her brains out for the next seven months or so while your girl recovers. When it's over, you move on and go back to the new 'family man', 'devoted boyfriend' with Millie."

"Molly." Daniel corrected.

"Molly. The hardest part about this whole op is gonna be convincing the ice queen to get you in the sack."

"Becks…man just..play the game, man."

"Alright" Said Becks "But if you get her to do it and you want a three some, you know where to fin-…"

"Seriously, dude!"

* * *

Daniel had contemplated Becks' suggestion the entire ride to Wilhelmina's apartment that night. He couldn't help the part of him that wanted to agree with his friend. Maybe he and Wilhelmina could act as each other's release. He'd always found her incredibly attractive and had secretly wanted to screw her but that all changed when he was hired as Editor-in-Chief of Mode. He started seeing her as an enemy upon realizing that she would do anything to get him out of _Mode_ magazine. Although, he would deny it if ever questioned, his attitude towards her changed, just a little. Ever since that god-awful ferry date, things kind of changed between them. She was still bossy and bitchy but she seemed to mellow when she was with Connor and even more so when William was thought to be her son.

As he stepped off the elevator and on to their floor, he thought about the arrangement his friend suggested. He and Wilhelmina were both adults, they could both benefit from this. However, the number one problem was how the hell was he going to approach the subject? He couldn't just say 'Hey wanna fuck until we're released from this prison sentence?'…or 'Since, doctor Kruczynski suggested we get to know each other, how about we also add knowing each other's bodies as part of the experience?'

After letting himself in, he found, to his surprise Wilhelmina sitting on the sofa, typing frantically on her laptop with an animated film on the television screen, a half filled glass of red wine with a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon on the coffee table . She didn't even flinch upon hearing him enter the apartment and hearing his footsteps nearing towards her. He stood behind the sofa and cleared his throat.

"Hey… I was out tonight." Daniel spoke, trying to mask his nervousness.

"How exciting for you." She said simply, not bothering to look up at him.

"Look, it got me thinking." He continued "About…our situation."

"What about it?" She questioned.

"I mean you and I are…we're man and wife and…we have needs. We can't have affairs." He nervously said. She ceased typing immediately as she attempted to comprehend what he was suggesting.

"What are you getting at, Daniel?" She asked as she slowed turned her head to face him, lifting her brow.

"I mean that you and I…are both adults…with certain needs. We could…you know. I don't know… just…"

"You want me to help you hide the weasel?" She questioned, with smirk. Her choice of words caused Daniel to let out a small chuckle.

"Yeah…you know help each other…satisfy our desires…no strings attached." He finished. She stared into the distance as if contemplating the suggestion, she even narrowed her eyes and that sent Daniel's heart hammering in his chest as he anxiously waited for her answer.

"Thank you for your indecent proposal but I have to say no." She then turned her attention back to the laptop without another word. He simply walked to his room and closed the door, and threw himself on the bed, cursing on the pillow at his stupidity.

* * *

Willie walked into the apartment feeling relaxed following a gym session the following morning. It was a Saturday and she didn't have anywhere else to be until the evening, so that meant she could indulge herself with her Jacuzzi tub and a bottle of chardonnay and music for a couple of hours. Remembering that she had an unwanted house guest, she called out his name just to check if he was home or not. After calling out a few times with no answer, she assumed he was out with friends or his mother, but who the fuck cared, she was all alone. However, she couldn't help her mind from flashing back to the conversation from the previous night; Daniel Meade suggesting that they become fuck buddies, had practically asked her to be his slut for the duration of their dreadful marriage. Who the hell did he think she was; one of those desperate 'Daniel's girls'. She was Wilhelmina Slater; she was a classy woman.

She walked down the hallway toward the main bathroom. The happy expression she was sporting a few seconds ago turned to that of shock at the sight upon opening the bathroom door. Daniel was sitting on the edge of the bathtub, naked with his eyes closed, panting softly, his hand pumping up and down his shaft. She stood frozen on the threshold, should she yell, close the door and pretend that she didn't see anything but her voice was much faster than her brain.

"Daniel!" She yelled. His eyes shot open and widened in horror. His erection slightly softened. "What are you doing?"

"I…I…"

"You know what? Don't answer that." With that, she immediately turned and left the room to take a bath in her own bathroom, leaving Daniel with a still horrified look on his face.

* * *

About an hour later she walked into the kitchen and found Daniel sitting at the island eating a sandwich. Wilhelmina suppressed a smile as she walked to the refrigerator.

"Oh, come on, you can laugh about it, Wilhelmina."

"Laugh about what?" She questioned coyly, holding a pitcher of mango juice.

"That you caught me…you know…"

"That I walked in on Daniel Meade jerking off?" She asked casually as she filled the glass to the brim. He only looked down in embarrassment. "So you were serious last night, I guess." She continued.

"About?"

"Suggesting that we fuck to blow off steam? Are you that horny, Daniel? To stoop so low as to want to fuck Wilhelmina Slater?" She taunted.

"Okay yes! Is that what you want to hear?"

"Okay, relax." She said with a slight giggle. "I have been thinking about your…proposal." She said.

"You…wanna… do it with me?" Daniel questioned, amusement written all over his face.

"Daniel, if you can do it you can say it."

"Alright" He sighed "You actually wanna have sex with me?"

"Only if you're not going to make a big deal about it. We're both adults here." She said before taking a sip from her glass.

"Trust me, I'm not gonna make a big deal about it. So when do you think we should start? Tonight?"

"I can't tonight. There's an exhibition at the Guggenheim and I might get home late."

"Okay…then maybe tomorrow. I don't know… we can work out a schedule or something…" He said nervously.

"I don't have to get ready for a few hours you know. Therefore…" She trailed off suggestively. Daniel just stared at her. She sipped the beverage and set the tumbler on the countertop and swayed out of the kitchen.

It was only a minute later that his brain registered the implication of her last statement. He jumped from his the chair and hurried to her bedroom, all the while kicking himself mentally for being so slow.

* * *

Daniel barged into Wilhelmina's bedroom and found her sitting on her vanity in her bra and thong, with an open jewellery box.

"Hey…uh…I wasn't…I…" He nervously began.

"You were a little slow…" She finished as her gaze met his through the mirror.

"Yeah." He said chuckling.

"Don't worry. I just have to be specific with you from now on." She said as she sauntered towards him. His heart began to hammer as she walked towards him and he could see the lust in her eyes. He marveled at her body, looking her up and down. He'd seen her naked but that was only a moment in the shower when he though she was actually her own sister. And he didn't even remember their Vegas escapade; he only got to see her perfect tits before she covered herself. She continued to saunter towards him and when she was close enough, he stretched out his arm to encircle her waist and pull her against his body. He looked into her eyes once more and he wasn't mistaken; Wilhelmina Slater's eyes were indeed screaming for him to fuck her. On the double, he pressed his lips against hers. She responded with the same fierceness as her own arms wrapped around his waist as she let out a faint moan. Soon, she parted her lips allowing his tongue access to her mouth, leading to the pair moaning simultaneously.

His heart thumped even harder as the feeling and the realization that Wilhelmina Slater was sucking his tongue registered on his mind. His other hand ran up and down the smooth skin of arm before settling on gripping her waist. They pulled apart for a moment to catch their breath before attacking each other's mouths once more. Daniel soon began a trail of soft kisses on her jaw, which soon trailed down to her neck. She threw her head back in pleasure, her accelerating breath being evidence to that. As he continued his gentle assault, she released soft involuntary moans which hardened his member further. He trailed his hand on her arm once more as he continued his deed, eliciting yet another sexy whimper from Willie. Feeling his hardness against her thigh only increased the volume of the moans which were turning to soft groans. And that only made him even harder.

The hardness she felt against her pelvis only got her wetter and at that moment, there was no more time for foreplay. She needed that magic stick inside her pronto. That's when she began tugging at his t-shirt in a quick, desperate attempt to pull it off. Getting the signal, Daniel's hands quickly moved to her back to unhook her bra. After successfully unhooking the item, he pulled away, panting heavily to allow her to tug at his t-shirt once more and pull it over his head. He quickly unstrapped the bra off her shoulders and let it fall to the floor.

After taking in his ripped torso, she leaned back in and attacked his mouth while her hands travelled to his biceps. She began placing gentle, yet frantic kisses on his jaw line and moved to his neck, much like he did to her earlier. And now it was her turn to latch her mouth on his neck and drive him crazy. And it was working, as evidenced by the groans he produced, all the while his hands frantically running up and her arms and back.

He induced a long soft moan from her when his hand moved to cup her breast, while the other moved to her ass. Soon her own hands made their way down to his ass and to the hem of his sweat pants. She tugged at his pants and pushed them down to unleash his huge love muscle. She wrapped her hand around the hard pecker, sending chills up his spine, which came out as a long groan. He knew she was ready to be fucked and when he inserted his hand in the front of her thong and up her folds, his suspicions were confirmed. He tugged at the thong to pull it down and she assisted him as she quickly pushed it further down with the feet. When they were finally free of any clothing, Daniel softly gripped her by the waist and turned her so she was pinned against the wall. He grinned at her before sealing his mouth over hers eliciting another moan from her.

He wrapped one arm tightly around her waist and lifted her up while she wrapped her legs around his waist. He positioned his hard member with his free hand and proceeded to thrust into her and entered her in one swift motion causing him to groan and her to moan louder. Soon he began his movements, thrusting into her at a mild pace as he buried his face on her neck. Their breaths matched his fucking pace, and then came the moans; the sexy moans of pleasure from the one and only Wilhelmina Slater and they were brought on by him. He felt her hot breath on his shoulder as she continued to produce muffled moans.

"Oh God." She breathed.

"Oh yes." He growled. "You feel so goddamn amazing." She continued to moan while he continued to move inside her, his thrusting speed rising. "So nice and tight…" He breathed into her ear.

"Oh God." She said releasing another soft groan. He continued to thrust into her, softly groaning into her ear and she, on his.

As he was pounding, she released a long sexy moan and the clenching of her muscles which followed right after, informed him that she was close. Suddenly his pace quickened even further and his strokes harder. He gripped her ass even tighter as he pounded into her faster and harder. Eventually, she threw her head back and screamed in pleasure. As she was riding her orgasmic wave, he latched his mouth on her neck. As she tried to wriggle off his grip, he held her tighter, shook his head smirking.

"Uh-uh…we're not done yet." He breathed.

"No?" She asked panting, returning the smirk. He replied with a zealous kiss which she immediately returned with the same passion. He carried her to the bed and gently plopped her down on it before hovering over her. He ran his hands on her now glistening body, looking her in the eyes before bending down to engulf her mouth on yet another kiss. She softly moaned in his mouth and immediately parted her lips to let him taste her once more. Soon their tongues dueled erotically as Daniel's still erect member hardened even more causing Wilhelmina to moan as the muscle pressed against her inner thigh. Wilhelmina swiftly slid from under him and pushed him back on the bed and was now on top straddling him. Before he could react, she bent to eagerly cover his mouth with her own. He kissed her with the same hunger, earning himself another moan which was now becoming familiar…in a good way. His cock only grew harder to a point of being painful, ready to plunge into her once again. He inhaled sharply upon feeling her warm hand wrapped around his member.

"Oh, Wilhelmina. Goddamn it." He whispered. He let out a long groan as he felt her descending on his long hard member. "God! Shit. Damn." He continued as his eyes rolled to the back of his head. He gently gripped her ass, giving her the signal to start moving. And boy did she receive it, because soon she rode Daniel in a way his cock had never been ridden before.

For a moment, he opened his eyes to take in the sight above him; His cock was buried inside Wilhelmina Slater as she was straddling him, moving up and down his shaft with her head thrown back, hair messed up and her body covered in a layer of sweat, releasing the sweetest groans he could have ever imagined. He continued to groan in pleasure as she quickened her pace. He panted loudly as he tried to hold on as long as he could, so he could be in sync with her release. Gripping the sheets, puffing and huffing, he finally felt her walls gripping his member and was soon followed by a scream. And that sent him over the edge as he groaned loudly, exploding up inside her.

Soon after her release, she untangled herself from Daniel and fell back on the mattress as she continued to breathe heavily, matching his own labored breath. For a few moments the only sound in the room was the heavy breathing of the pair and had they bothered to listen carefully, they would surely hear their own and each other hearts thumping. That's how intense it was.

"Wow!" Exclaimed Daniel.

"I know." Willie breathed in agreement.

"That was…wow. That was…"

"Intense?" She finished.

"Yeah…and hot, and so great and…just so…"

"Unexpected." They said simultaneously, before laughing softly.

"God…I did not expect this at all…I mean did you?" Daniel asked, still in a state of shock.

"God, no." She answered, amusement still evident in her tone.

"We're definitely doing this again…and again. Are you game?" He asked hopefully.

"Of course." She replied before sitting up and getting off the bed. "I have to take a bath and get ready." She announced while Daniel watched as her naked form swayed to the bathroom. He cleared his throat and spoke up before she disappeared into the entrance.

"Oh…wait. Aren't there gonna be rules or something?"

Stopping in her tracks, she asked "Rules?"

"Yeah about…this." He gestured between the two of them.

"Because I'm such a control freak?" She asked nonchalantly leaning against the door frame, arms folded, head tilted and a lopsided smile playing on her face.

"Hmmm." His eyes roamed her body like a predator in the serengeti. She cleared her throat to shake him out of his reverie.

"No, no, no, I was just…I wasn't implying…" He stammered. "I was just…"

"Look, Daniel, let's just…let nature take its course, okay?"

"Okay, cool. When one of us has an itch we…make make a move?" He questioned. She folded her arm and narrowed her eyes as if thinking hard.

"Yeah, I guess." She replied and then turned walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind her.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7:**

A bemused smile curved Daniel's mouth as he got dressed the following morning, getting ready for brunch with his mom and a few family friends. He had overslept as he spent the previous night mulling over the incredibly satisfying sex he had with the one and only Wilhelmina. As he finished getting dressed, he made a mental note to call Becks for feedback about his idea, which surprisingly worked. Even his stride down the hallway that morning had an extra je ne se quoi. Continuing toward the door, his steps slowed as he caught sight of Wilhelmina in the living room. She was lounging on the sofa with her back to him. He briefly observed the surroundings; some program was on the television with the volume turned down and the only sound was the melodic jazz tune softly blaring from her sound system. In addition, he noted that she was preoccupied with something he couldn't quite figure out from his vantage point.

He stilled, unsure of what to do or say. His mind raced, Should he say 'hi' or 'good morning' 'How was the art exhibition last night?' or 'The sex was great. I couldn't stop thinking about it.' Eventually, he settled on a simple clearing of his throat as a form of a greeting.

"Daniel" Wilhelmina acknowledged his presence without flinching nor looking up and back at him.

"What's up?" He said, playing it cool. That seemed to get her attention as she looked back at him revealing an unreadable expression. He quickly walked over and as he approached he noticed the object of her preoccupation; a copy the _Sunday Times_. As he took a seat on the arm chair adjacent to hers, his gaze landed on the tray on the coffee table. His brows flickered in surprise, his mouth curving into a smile at which she also eased into a smile. On the large breakfast tray sat a large plate containing a half-eaten omelet and few pieces of exotic fruit left as evidence of the consumed breakfast as well as flute of mimosa.

Also on the table lay a few complementary copies of other _Meade_ publications, as well as copies of rivals; _Vogue_ , _BAZAAR_ and even _GQ_. Daniel definitely had some questions about that last one. He hadn't even realized that a goofy grin had crossed his features, leading to an inquiring look from Willie.

"So how are you?" He asked.

"I'm good." She replied and added in an attempt at being nice "and…how are you?"

He couldn't help noticing this morning's attire. She wore a loose fitting short sleeved crop top and a pair of short shorts. His lust filled eyes couldn't help roaming her body. From her exposed perfectly toned abs down to her long sexy legs and her beautiful bare feet stretching out on the sofa. Her face was free of makeup as her honey colored hair fell loosely down her shoulders.

"Daniel?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you want to say something?" She asked with a thin lipped smile.

"I'm just surprised, I guess." He answered, his grin not falling.

"By what?"

"You. You're eating…normal people food." He quipped. She released a short laugh at seeing the amusement on his pale face.

"On some Sundays." She murmured "So, what are you all dressed up for? Please don't tell me you're going to Mass and that you're a religious guy." She said with a glint of humor.

"No, I'm not going to church. Why? Can't a guy just look nice on a Sunday morning without being pressed about it?" He quipped.

"Touché." She responded with throaty laugh.

"What are you doing for today?" He asked.

"It's Sunday, so nothing but R&R."

"Wish I could join you but I'm heading out to brunch with my mom. I'm hanging with her today." He said, his tone somewhat laced with pity which she picked up on.

"Oh don't worry about it, Daniel. I actually prefer it this way. Sundays are my time to myself, thus even if you didn't have any plans I wouldn't be seeking your company anyway." She retorted with a steady challenging stare.

"I'm s-…Cool." He awkwardly murmured "I should probably…" Daniel began, glancing at his wrist watch. He sprung to his feet and before taking a step away he spoke up "Hey, what do you say on making an appearance somewhere tonight?"

"An appearance?"

"Yeah, so we could be seen together in public. I thought we could…I don't know…get photographed on 'date night' somewhere." He explained.

"That's actually a good idea. It's been a while since we got hitched." She replied matter-of-factly.

"Exactly, we can use the time to get to know each other like Dr. Kruzcynki said."

"Or we could just eat our dinner, drink alcohol and discuss work…like adults." She deadpanned.

"Why are you so against this idea?"

"Because it's stupid."

"It could be really helpful." He protested. She crossed her jaw to bite back a retort.

"Aren't you going to be late?" She questioned, smiling tightly.

"Okay I'm leaving…So?" He asked waiting for her response.

"We can do a quick dinner at a restaurant in the theatre district. There are usually some photographers there. I'll take care of the reservation." She said nonchalantly, her attention drifting back to the newspaper.

"Great. For what time?"

"Seven o'clock should do." She replied as she flipped the page.

"Great"

"I'll text to confirm the reservation."

"Good" He said before walking off. As he headed for the door, her voice broke, stopping him. "And Daniel?"

"Yeah?"

"Tell your mom I say 'hi'" She said.

"What?" He asked as his brows knitted in confusion.

"It'll piss her off." She replied with a shrug.

"Got it" He shook his head chuckling before unlocking the door and stepping out.

* * *

The pair sat opposite each other at their table which despite not being next to the large windows, was strategically at the right angle, giving the few paparazzi out on the sidewalk a decent vantage point. They were both sipping tequila as they waited for their order while making small talk.

"God, isn't our food ready yet?" Willie asked exasperated.

"It's only been 20 minutes. Let's just use this time to talk." He suggested.

"Look I just want to eat dinner, get home, fuck and get some sleep. Our relationship is fine as is. I don't need to get to know you more than I do now."

"Well I happen to think it could….wait, hold up, did you just admit that you wanna get your rocks off with me?" He asked, his tone teasing.

"It must be the tequila talking." She replied with slight raise of the glass at which they laughed softly.

"On a serious note, Wilhelmina, don't you think that it might be beneficial for us?"

"You're not going to let this go are you? Okay, ask me something." She said before releasing a sigh of defeat.

"First, what's your all time favorite cuisine?" Daniel asked. Willie simply gave an eye roll before offering a verbal response.

"Seriously?"

"It's a good start given we're in a restaurant." He argued.

"Fair enough, well the answer is French. And yours?"

"Italian." He replied.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, pasta and pizza rank at the very top." said Willie, eliciting a small chuckle from Daniel.

"You're not wrong. So can you cook?" He probed.

"Cook?"

"Uh-huh, this morning I saw you eating some real breakfast."

"Oh…that continental breakfast was delivered, which I figure you already guessed."

"More like suspected." He corrected.

"I can cook but I don't."

"Usually, when people say that it means that they don't wanna admit that they are bad at something." He teased.

"You know you have a lot of lip this evening." She said with a slight tilt of her head, her eyes narrowed before taking another sip.

"Does that bother you?" He asked, his voice seductively low.

"Would it give you a hard-on if I said yes?" She asked with a slight mischievous arch of her eyebrows. They were clearly flirting with one another, with Daniel taking the more humorous role of the banter.

As luck would have it and without their awareness the few photographers stationed outside the restaurant captured the playful and flirtatious banter. It was those expressions that would make it to the morning papers' editions.

* * *

Later that evening, after their dinner which was accompanied by a surprisingly painless conversation, the pair walked in the dimly lit apartment.

"So…" Daniel began as Willie locked the door "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

"What?" She breathed as she tossed the keys on a nearby table.

"The date we just went on." He replied, earning himself an eye roll.

"Please don't call it that."

"What would you call it then?"

"Dinner. We just went out to dinner." She said beginning to unfasten her coat. Daniel as a reflex copied her movements and began to unbutton his own coat.

"Yeah but according to the media, we were on a date."

"We are not the media. We don't have to call it a date." She argued.

"Yeah I know but…" He was cut off by Wilhelmina's soft grasp of his forearm, instantly pulling him for a drawn out gentle kiss.

"And to answer your question; no it wasn't that hard." She whispered, her eyes looking into his as her thin sensuous lips curved into a small smile. Daniel's eyes flickered over her features and to her lips, the urge to kiss her mounting. Before he could lean back in, he felt himself being pulled by the hand toward the hallway.

She immediately slammed her luscious lips on his upon stepping into the bedroom. Her fingers entwined his hair on the back of his head as his hands instinctively gripped her waist. Grabbing him by the lapels of his coat, she pushed him backward guiding him towards the bed. His hold on her waist tightened before he felt her pulling him closer. She only pulled her lips apart from his momentarily to catch her breath when she felt his lips crashing back onto hers with urgency. He drew a moan from her; a sound he was yet to get accustomed to but adored and found sexy, nonetheless.

He felt her tongue flicker his bottom lip and he parted his lips a fraction, allowing her tongue to slip into his mouth. The tip of her tongue flicked just inside his lips, teasing him. He felt her tongue flirt with his, moving in circles in an erotic dare for a tongue duel. The taste of tequila mixed with the Sauvignon Blanc that lingered on her warm tongue urged his response as his own tongue began a duel with hers. Her hands quickly fumbled with his unbuttoned coat and began to slide it off his shoulders, letting it fall to the ground. With lightning speed, she yanked his tie off and proceeded to unbutton his cardigan before he felt it slide it off his shoulders. The incredibly hasty move impressed Daniel. He assisted her by proceeding to unbutton his dress shirt. However, he was a little too slow for Willie who took over task and undid the rest of the buttons.

Now clad only in his jeans in which his hard member was painfully straining, Daniel stood behind Willie pulling down the zipper of her dress. He slid it off her shoulders and down her body and moved on to unhooking her bra. He then swiped her hair off the side of her neck and gently latched his lips onto it, inducing a velvety, involuntary intake of breath from Willie. She closed her eyes upon feeling his lips and hot breath on her neck, tilted her head further and bit her lip to keep from crying out. He let the bra fall to the floor as the assault on her tender skin continued.

"Fuck" She cried both from Daniel's mouth and his hard member pressed firmly against her bottom. She hooked her own fingers onto the waistband of her thong and began sliding it down. She exhaled when Daniel stopped his assault and removed his mouth form her neck. Daniel quickly pulled his unbuttoned jeans down along with his briefs, his hard pecker springing free. As he stepped out of them, Willie reclaimed his lips and pushed Daniel down on the bed.

She crawled up on the bed towards him as he plopped himself trying to get comfortable. She soon straddled him smiling seductively down at him before meeting his lips in a quick kiss. All of a sudden, Daniel felt Wilhelmina lower herself onto his length; an unexpected move that sent a moan flying out of his mouth. She too released a moan at her fullness from Daniel's shaft before she began moving up and down the shaft. Upon recovering from the contact, he placed his hands on her waist as she bounced up and down his length.

His hands slid up to grab her breasts, giving a light squeeze which resulted in a groan escaping her lips. Shortly, he began bucking his hips upward to thrust into her. He gave another drawled out groan from both the thrusts and the feeling of her breasts on his hands. God her tits felt so perfect, in fact her entire body felt so perfect, from her lush ass, to her firm breasts and down to her silky caramel skin.

He watched the mewling beauty atop of him with contained fascination. She looked so sexy on top him with hair hanging loose and messy, her lips red and glossy, her eyes shut and her upper body covered with a sheen of sweat that made her look even more radiant in the dimly lit bedroom. His hands made a trail up and down her torso, as he marveled at her body. Another groan left his mouth as he felt her pace quickening. He stopped bucking his hips immediately as he felt an orgasm building. She threw her head back, eyes screwed shut as she continued to ride his pole, feeling an orgasm lingering within her depths. Feeling that he was getting even closer, Daniel began spewing out profanities.

"Oh fuck, Wilhelmina!" He breathed "Fuck. Shit. Goddamn!"

She came down and slammed her lips against his, her breasts pressed against his chest. As his cock began to pulse inside her pool of moisture, she felt her peak approaching. She removed her lips from his and continued her wild ride, moaning against his ear. Daniel on the other hand couldn't hold off anymore.

"I'm gonna cum." He warned in a whisper. It only took three more thrusts or so before he growled as he came deep inside her. Her warm wet core slid up and down his still very much hard length a few more seconds before she reached her own high, erupting in a series of convulsions, together with some sexy drawled out moans to his ear. His hands tightened on her body as they released heavy breaths, his softening member still inside her.

Following her high, she placed a kiss on the crook of his neck and dragged her lips up his neck to his jaw and finally ending with a long hard kiss on his lips, after which she rolled off his body and fell on the pillow next to him.

"Wow!" The duo breathlessly muttered, which resulted in a burst of laughter from the both of them.

"Are we going to say that after every time we have sex?" asked Willie. "Not that I'm complaining." She clarified.

"Well it's only the second day. Maybe with time we'll get used to it." Daniel replied.

* * *

Later that evening after a few long rounds of sex, the pair lay plopped up on the pillows, starring at the ceiling; the labored breaths from their throes of pleasure being the only sound in the room. A sense of relief washed over Daniel as he felt Wilhelmina begin to squirm and pull the covers over her nude body. He was really spent; Wilhelmina could really ride a cock. He needed to go and get some sleep. He flipped the covers getting ready to retreat to his bedroom.

"You can stay, you know." She mumbled, her voice stilling his movements.

"WHAT?" He exclaimed as surprise touched his pale face.

"You don't have to sneak out of here like some gigolo. You can sleep in here." She offered.

"Oh? Wow." He said with a hint of astonishment, his blue eyes meeting hers in skepticism.

"What?" She inquired.

"Nothing I'm just…surprised."

"You'll come to learn that I'm not that selfish in bed." She said in a silky voice.

"I'm starting to." He stated with a subtle smile, his own tone laced with silkiness that matched hers.

"But if you're not comfortable, feel free to…" She began but was cut off by Daniel.

"Oh no, no it's okay, I'll sleep in here."

"Good." She mumbled and then turned and pulled her bedside drawer open to retrieve her pill bottle. Daniel awkwardly watched as she popped the pills in her mouth before falling back on the pillow.

"Good night" He awkwardly uttered.

"Night" She mumbled.


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8**

Since their return to work on Monday, they were hounded by the press. From the paparazzi waiting for them in the morning outside the Meade Publications building to the photographs of the pair's date night plastered across the entertainment section of news publications, particularly the _Post_ 's page six. Then a video clip from the night in question being aired on _Fashion Buzz_ every half-hour added fuel to the fire. Since Monday morning their every move has been met and observed with immense curiosity in the _Mode_ offices. Even celebrity gossip shows seemed to have found new content.

And now at the end of business day on Wednesday the duo reported to their therapy session. They were seated beside one another as they exchanged pleasantries with the therapist.

"So did you complete your homework, kids?" The therapist joked.

"Yeah, we tr-..." Daniel began, however he was cut off.

"Homework?" Willie asked in confusion, elevating her brow.

"Yes, about observing and communicating with each other and reporting back what you've learned." reminded the therapist.

"Oh" She said rolling her eyes.

"You didn't do it?" Dr. Kruczynski asked calmly.

"No" She said frankly.

"Unbelievable" Daniel said in exasperation.

"Excuse me?"

"It was one simple task to help us through this and to help us become better partners and you just decided to be a bitch." Daniel said in annoyance.

"Decided? Are you kidding? You think I deliberately forgot to do one little crappy task that is sure not going to help, to what?…. upset you?"

"Exactly! Just so you can show me who's boss."

"Guys cut it out. I believe I informed you that you should try and settle your arguments in a healthy manner."

"Well, maybe this is as healthy as it gets for us." Daniel spat irritably at the older man.

"Just refrain from using words and phrases that place blame on each other." urged the therapist.

"This is ridiculous. If Daniel wants to act like a goddamn child, let him." snapped an annoyed Willie, eliciting a snort from Daniel. Her frustration was mounting as evidenced by the eye roll, clenched jaw, accompanied by a sigh.

"Look here, Kruczynski, I have a demanding career. I have had a lot on my plate this past week." She honestly offered and before the older man could acknowledge her reasoning, Daniel spoke up in frustration.

"So did I, Wilhelmina, but I still found the time to make an effort!"

"Screw off, will you? Of course you found the time to make a goddamn effort because you choose which responsibilities are suitable for you in the company!"

"What the hell do you mean?"

"Okay, calm down; the both of you." The therapist reprimanded gently. "Now let's put the homework issue aside. Just tell me about your week and maybe I will detect some progress."

* * *

Despite the heated therapy session, Daniel felt bold enough to ask Willie out for a drink while they were out in the car. To his surprise she had agreed which is how they found themselves sitting across from one another at one of Manhattan's low key bars. To his surprise, they had a rather easy conversation, thanks to the crazy past few days which seemed to change the communication aspect of their relationship. The change was not highly significant yet it was all over the air between them.

"Don't you think we should have told him about us?" Daniel asked before taking a swig of his beer.

"That we're fucking? Hell no. It's none of his business." She muttered hastily.

"He's our therapist." He said matter-of-factly.

"And?" She asked with a slight shrug.

"I don't know." He replied with a mimic of her shrug.

"Uh-huh…" She muttered, her eyes narrowing "Are you hoping that he'll give us pointers on how we can get along using sex?" She asked with a mischievous smile before bringing the glass of Pinot noir to her lips; seductively so…at least from Daniel's point of view.

"Well..." Daniel said with a short nervous chuckle "Don't you think he could tell though? I mean he's been doing this for years."

"Oh please, I highly doubt that years of counseling miserable couples who don't even have sex has enhanced his ability to tell if two people are sleeping together." She explained dismissively before taking another sip from her glass.

"And now that I think about it..." She continued "Maybe the actual reason you're pushing for Kruczynski to know is because you need someone to tell you that sleeping with me is okay. All because you can't talk with your confidants; Claire and Betty."

"Okay, Wilhelmina I'm not some mama's boy and Betty is not my only friend." He argued.

"True but let's face it, she's the only one with brains. As for your mom, you value her opinion because she's your mom and not Bradford." She spoke in a calm and gentle tone.

"Fair enough." He said with a small smile. "While we're on the subject...what did you mean back there?... about me getting to choose my responsibilities?" He probed in a grudging voice.

"I meant exactly what I said." She answered, her voice neutral yet her stare held a challenge. Daniel recognized the signs of a Wilhelmina Slater bitch fit coming down and knew he wasn't going to get anywhere by poking the bear. But alas, it only took less than a minute of silence and couple of sips of his beer before Daniel abandoned his self warning to object to her statement.

"Don't you think you're being unfair? I know I'm not perfect or even close to your standards of 'good enough' but I've been trying."

"Don't worry about it, I'm biased." She said dismissively in a patronizing tone.

"Come on don't do that."

"Don't do what?"

"This thing you're doing; walking on eggshells, trying to spare my feelings like I'm some spoilt brat who can't take other people's opinions." With that statement, a laugh broke from Wilhelmina's lips.

"Lay off the alcohol, Meade; me trying to spare your feelings?" She said with genuine smile. A sigh of annoyance escaped his mouth.

"Talk to me like a man, Wilhelmina."

"Good. All I'm saying is that major responsibilities in the magazine and the company fall on my shoulders. I don't mind with the magazine because I'm a perfectionist when it comes to _Mode_. I don't see you do your part the way you're supposed to."

"You're kidding, right?"

"What I know is, when it comes to the hiring and firing; actually dealing with the human resources department, the rejection of concepts and articles, approving and rejecting budgets; that's all on me. I get to be the bad guy. You take on the responsibilities that make you smell like a bouquet of roses; all the time. For instance, with photo shoots I know that the skimpier the outfits the higher the chances of your attendance for supervision. Furthermore, you appointed yourself into the role of choosing the models and..." She rambled.

"Again, you're not being fair. You specifically told me that I get to pick the models." He argued.

"No, we never had such a discussion. You are the one who started short listing models behind my back and I simply let you to you because I realized that having you do it works, you're a man." His features softened as he realized that indeed such a discussion never took place, he assigned himself the task and she just let him for nearly two years. Nevertheless the look that crossed his features did not remain for long as her voice broke.

"However, you're not just a man, you're a Meade man. Therefore, seeing women as nothing but objects runs through your veins." She muttered icily.

"Are you trying to antagonize me?" He said narrowing his eyes finding it hard to contain the contempt that washed over him.

"You're the one who wanted to talk about it." His response was an exasperated snort. She continued.

"All I'm saying is that you do not get to do what you have to for the company; like making some tough calls. Letting the company hemorrhage cash and pulling the 'it's my father's legacy' defense is more your area. And nobody calls you out on it 'cause nearly every woman in that building wants to fuck you hoping to be the new Mrs. Meade and all your mother and Betty do is coddle you." She went on. "Gee, I guess you were right you ARE spoiled." She said with oddly composed yet uncompromising tone.

"You're such a bitch." He said in a husky whisper.

"At least I know what I am." She uttered rather complacently, her mocking tone sparking his anger. Not having a bullet in his magazine to fire a response, he clenched his teeth and fist glaring at her wryly. His piercing blue eyes bore into hers while shaking his head cynically at her. She held his gaze without flinching, tossing her hair across her shoulder as she smugly glared at him. He began gulping his beer while she drained her glass, both more than ready to leave.

* * *

As could be expected after such an argument, sex was not on the cards for the duo. Daniel went straight to his bedroom too upset to even engage in angry sex while Wilhelmina disappeared in the dining room area as soon as they walked in the apartment. The limo ride back home was so awkward that Daniel caught their driver in the rear-view mirror stealing glances at them in confusion, clearly burning to ask what happened inside the bar.

As the rest of the evening wore on, after having checked his e-mails and played his games on his computer, Daniel had calmed down a little. It was then the realization that he was now angrier at himself than he was at Wilhelmina hit him. He was angry for pressing the issue expecting honesty and a soft blow at the same time. It's been nearly three years and he should know by now that the delivery of soft blows was not Wilhelmina Slater's forte. He stood by what he said, nonetheless. She was not being fair. She never spoke to him about _Meade_ operations and how to divide the responsibilities and now she was crying about him taking the easy way out. How dare she!

As midnight approached, his frustration had waned significantly. He tossed under the covers as he worried that his expectations from the arrangement were a little too high. He thought sleeping with her would ease her attitude towards him a notch. That coupled with their court appointed marriage counselor's suggestion that getting to know each other might benefit their business partnership in the future. He was starting to believe that he was getting the best of both worlds where he would become allies with her in both the office and the bedroom. Oh, how he had miscalculated. She was a narcissistic bitch who took pleasure in hurting others' feelings. He should have known better.

Little did he know that Wilhelmina was going through something similar in her own bedroom. As she sat on her bed, reading quietly, she crossed and uncrossed her stretched out legs, stirring and releasing sighs of frustration. To say she was restless would be an understatement as it was not only physical. Mixed feelings surged through her as her mind kept travelling back to earlier, mulling over the confrontation. As she agonized over it, she chastised herself, knowing she was brutal, yet she didn't quite understand what people wanted from her. Annoyance won as the most dominant in the series of emotions she was currently going through.

She felt annoyed at both Daniel and the damn marriage counselor. She had truly forgotten about their little task assigned by that quack. She ran a magazine and had to keep an eye on the operations of the company, not to mention the watchful eye of the press and curious employees, clients and Carl Hartley who was becoming a pain in the ass. And now she was expected to fit some ridiculous task of playing 20 questions with Daniel Meade onto her schedule? And for Daniel to insinuate that she neglected their assignment on purpose was just bullshit. Then he probed and antagonized her, asking her to speak to him like a man and now when she adhered to that very command he called her a bitch.

However she also felt annoyance toward herself for the way she handled the situation. She chastised herself for being so brutal. She was supposed to just talk to him and explain what she meant during their session over drinks and she just ripped him to shreds. And she should have known better than that. It has been nearly three years since she started working with him and she knew how he wore his heart up his sleeve, despite his great efforts to hide it. She couldn't help thinking that she should have gone easy on him. Her lips curved into a thin lipped smile as the admission crossed her mind. She also couldn't help thinking why she was so upset over what he said; he was right, she was indeed a bitch. Sadly, it was not entirely her fault.

One trait most people did not notice nor appreciate about Wilhelmina Slater was her honesty. She said the things that most people only thought and fantasized about saying. And she had earned the reputation of a bitch because of it. As she sat there alone having her own moment of truth, she admitted it to herself. She admitted that deep down she meant to tell Daniel her thoughts. She even admitted that she enjoyed doing it, she enjoyed getting that off her chest. She even went further to admit the one thing she was too proud to admit out lout; that she felt badly after. Seeing the sad cynical look on his face, the hurt, his poor attempts to compose himself induced feelings of regret. And yet she sat there watching him with a smug look on her face. Not that she could help it. If she was a better human being she would just apologize in the morning however, her pride wouldn't let her.

* * *

For Wilhelmina and Daniel to assume that they didn't have a lot in common was ludicrous. They shared similar backgrounds and upbringings, they also shared a few interests and personality traits. One of such traits was the worst of the seven deadly sins; pride. This was particularly stronger towards each other. Ever since their argument, they went about their lives the very next day as if no such spat took place. Neither one bothered to apologize to the other, and engaged in hot sex that very same evening and never brought up their fight again.

Two weeks had gone by and Daniel and Wilhelmina were having sex nearly every day and night with a couple of nights reserved for the much needed rest. This particular morning Daniel was asleep in her bed when a rush of water from the bathroom faucet startled him from his sleep. He sat up on the bed as he listened to the running water. His mouth twisted into a smile at the thought of Wilhelmina about to get naked and take a shower. He truly was in high spirits as the sex was way better than he had fantasized. Some days he couldn't help the wild thought that he had found his match. If he didn't have any impulsive tendencies, he would have stopped to think how he was going to get back out there once this was all over.

He was like a horny 17 year old boy all over again; getting a boner at the mere thought of a girl. Only this time the twist was that the girl in question was none other than Wilhelmina Slater. He never really expected this marriage go this well minus a few bumps. He found the perfect setup; a girl who hardly spoke to him, didn't nag him, only rode his cock like a pro and refused to cuddle or have any pillow talk of any kind after the steamy sex sessions. This was something most men only fantasized about and HE was living the fantasy. A lopsided smile crossed his face as he thought about how true her words were about being selfless in bed except of course giving head; she told him upfront that there would not be any going down on each other; he could live with that.

As he sat there, he contemplated whether he should go in the bathroom for a morning quickie as he had come to realize that Willie wasn't uptight as previously thought, at least not sexually. Nevertheless, ever since they began sleeping together it had always been her who initiated sex. He was a little intimidated to start anything, given the number of times and the amount of force she used to push him off her whenever he tried getting on top. Without any second thought he jumped from under the covers and stalked toward the bathroom. Gaining his bravado he let out a long breath and slightly pushed the door open.

He walked in just as she was finishing brushing her teeth. Blood began to rush to his nether regions as he watched her perfectly curvy form bend down to spit the water down the sink. For the life of him he couldn't understand how someone could make such a mundane task so sensuous and seductive; like a commercial. He cleared his throat as he stood on the threshold, making her jump slightly.

"Daniel?" She said brushing loose strands of hair away from her face.

He got lost on her perfectly carved face; that had been happening a lot lately. He still had to get used to seeing her makeup free face. Her natural look softened and outlined her features making her look more beautiful than he thought. Before any awkwardness could arise, he nonchalantly strode towards her. Daniel, however was not the only one consumed by lust as Willie's eyes momentarily froze on his well-ripped upper body as he moved towards her. She narrowed her eyes, her lips slowly curling into a smile as she recognized the look on his face; which she now knew as his bedroom eyes. She quickly softened into a small smile.

"Well, this morning I thought we should mix things up, you know." He said in a throaty voice.

"Oh?" was her only response.

"Mm-hmm"

"What do you have in mind?" She asked in a whisper.

He caught her by the waist and pulled her closer to him, his growing hardness pressing up against her. She let out a shaky breath as she felt the boner against her pelvic bone. His fingers lightly brushed the strands of hair that fell on her face before crushing his lips onto hers. She responded with the same urgency as Daniel felt a soft caress on his bicep. Soon his hand traced the outline of her breast through the silk chemise, resulting in her moaning in his mouth as she felt the light squeeze. He held her tightly against him dragging his lips down her neck, drawing a moan. A deeper and longer moan escaped her lips as she threw her head back both form the assault on her neck and the hard member pressed up against her.

She let out a shaky shallow breath before urgently covering his lips with hers. His tongue fluttered against hers and as she delightfully and expertly worked her tongue in his mouth, his quickly fought for dominance. Suddenly he pulled away and with his hand locked on her shoulder he swiftly and impressively whirled her around so she was facing the mirror and against the counter. He eased his boxers down and pushed the silk chemise up and over her firm ass and plunged himself deep into her, drawing a sharp intake of breath. He held still, their lust filled blue eyes meeting through their reflections before beginning his hard thrusts. She moaned as he slammed himself in and out of her warm core but soon clamped her eyes shut as she felt Daniel's thrust increase their pace and power.

He continued his rough thrusts, the only sounds in the room being her subtle screams and the slams of Daniel's pelvis against her ass. All the while, groans of pleasure escaped Daniel's mouth. His large hand gently pushed her down on the counter as he continued to drive into her. Cries of pleasures continued to escape her lips and soon she felt it building up and it only took a few hard thrusts before the sensual cries of pleasure erupted from her; sensual enough to induce Daniel's own release. He held her still as he emptied himself inside her. A comfortable silence washed over them after their synchronized labored breaths died down.

"Oh Wow." Her voice broke.

"I know." He said as he pulled out of her. "What are you doing to me, woman?" He asked grinning as his eyes met hers on the reflection.

"I could ask you the same thing, Meade." She breathed. "I'm afraid we have to get to work."

"Of course" He said as he loosened his grip on her waist.

* * *

A would be perfect day, given its start, was interrupted by an unlucky slip of Daniel's tongue subsequent to the projected sales meeting held in the penthouse conference room that morning as per Hartley's request. As the attendees which consisted of the _Meade Publications_ ' owners (and Claire), and a few accountants dispersed, Hartley engaged Daniel in small talk in the hallway daring to ask about his newlywed life. Daniel replied how great it has been, a little too enthusiastically. Whether he was over selling it or it was because the feeling was genuine, he will never know. As he continued to babble on about the honeymoon phase, he wasn't aware that someone dear to him was in close proximity.

Minutes later as he sat at his desk reading an addendum on an advertising contract, his peripheral line of vision caught his door swinging open. Looking up, his mother stood frozen in the door way.

"WE NEED TO TALK." She said coldly.


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER 9**

His mother's contemptuous tone caused his brows to tilt in confusion. A brief silence washed over them as he perplexedly studied his mom whose face displayed contempt and disappointment; the latter becoming increasingly familiar as of late. His heart began to race as it clicked in his mind that his mother probably knew his little secret. The question was of how. His mouth momentarily went dry as he began to mull over the scenarios about how she found out. The hard slam of the door jerked him back to attention.

"Mom, what's going on?" He asked.

"Why don't you tell me?" She responded sharply.

"What are you talking about, Mom?"

Claire took a step forward, her heels creating an uncomfortable clicking sound to Daniel's ears as she swayed towards him. He studied her as she slowly approached; her lips pressed together in anger, her brown eyes boring into his blue ones. The accusative stare was the confirmation he needed; she definitely knew.

"Just how could you do this?" She asked as she stopped at his desk, making Daniel feel small as she towered over him.

"Do what?" He asked coyly.

"You're sleeping with her." She accused. In spite of his suspicion he still was caught off guard to deny or dismiss the accusation immediately. Instead he averted his eyes guiltily.

"What?" He asked with a nervous chuckle "Mom, again, what are you talking about?"

"Oh, stop playing dumb. I heard you gushing to Cal." His face paled at the revelation.

"I wasn't gushing, I was just answering the question and maybe I oversold a little." He lied.

"You didn't oversell, son. That was genuine and there's only one thing that I can think of that could make you sound like a school boy with some type of crush when talking about that bitch. It all makes sense now."

"What does?" Asked Daniel.

"Why the two of you are chummy as of late. One moment you thought cohabitating with that bitch was the equivalent of a prison sentence and now you suddenly look relaxed. I'm sorry, son but acting is not your strongest suit." Spat Claire.

"Gee thanks a lot, Mom." Daniel sarcastically fired back.

"Don't be a smartass with me! That also explains why you looked so damn giddy when you came over for brunch that other Sunday. That's about the time you started sleeping with her isn't it? Unbelievable." She finished with a mirthless laugh, shaking her head with a cynical look on her face. "That's why you were smiling like an idiot in that restaurant when the paparazzi took those ridiculous pictures."

"Look, mom…" He began calmly "Wilhelmina and I-…it doesn't mean anything. We're just…"

"Fuck buddies?" Claire finished, cutting him off.

"Mom, please!" Cried Daniel, his face scrunched up in embarrassment.

"What? Isn't that the term you kids use nowadays? I don't understand just how you could fall for it and do something like that with her. This is one of her schemes."

"Mom, I understand you don't like her and I'm not a big fan either but I'm an adult okay, Wilhelmina and I are both adults."

"You think being an 'adult' is going to save you from one of her ploys? She is using your weakness against you, that's how she gets men to eat out of her palm." She reasoned.

"Mom, just stop please!" Daniel pleaded as he stood up.

"Why, because it's true?"

"Because I'm the one who asked her, okay!" He revealed causing Claire to instinctively cover her mouth as it fell open.

"You what?" She whispered in disbelief.

"I'm the one who suggested the…fun buddies thing. It wasn't her." He clarified calmly.

"Oh, wow…" Clear breathed, clearly taken aback. "I bet she immediately agreed and you walked right into her trap."

"It's not what you think, Mom. There's no trap or scheme or whatever you call it. Wilhelmina and I are consenting adults who…"

"I can't believe you, Daniel. After everything she's done to this family…and you're sleeping with her. And on top of that you're protecting her?"

"I'm just being honest with you, mom. I'm a guy and I have needs." He said.

"Don't you dare pull that crap on me! DO YOU HEAR ME?" She screamed, which startled Betty who was straining to listen in at her desk.

"Mom" He said, trying to calm her.

"Don't!" She yelled "You just couldn't resist could you, Son? You just had to get in line all for that slut; for Wilhelmina of all people. And you're sitting here defending that sick bitch who's probably taking pleasure in your stupidity."

"Mom" He pleaded calmly, his eyes not meeting hers.

"I thought I was wrong before but I think it's time I wrap my head around this; you're just like Bradford; always led around by your weakness."

"I'm nothing like dad!" He said defensively.

"Are you sure? Because you're literally in bed with the woman who destroyed our family. After all she's done and you couldn't resist that Brazilian lifted plastic ass of hers."

She turned and began to storm off but stopped and turned to him just before reaching the door. "Maybe poor Molly dodged a bullet after all. Seeing how you can't keep it in your pants for two months." With that cutting remark, she pulled the door open and stormed off. Much to his dismay, as he was still hanging his head in shame Betty walked in and based on the look on her face he was sure she had heard something important.

"Betty"

"You're really sleeping with her?" asked the young assistant.

"Betty, please…I don't need any judgment nor do I need a lecture about this." He said with a hint of annoyance.

"Are you sure? Because you are headed to a path of destruction and you could lose everything."

"Calm down, will you? I'm not gonna lose anything. Wilhelmina and I are…"

"Consenting adults? yes I heard the speech. Couldn't you just…I don't know…not sleep with her? Wait out this period without sleeping with her and focus on the magazine and the company which she could take away right from under you."

"She won't…" He protested.

"She got back to _Mode_ the morning after it was discovered that baby William is actually Christina's. She managed to smooth talk Cal despite her evil deeds. What makes you think she won't do it to you now that she has you on her palm?" Betty inquired, her frustration growing.

"Wilhelmina doesn't have me on anything!" He spewed, anger spilling over to his voice.

"I don't understand you, Daniel. I just don't get why a person who has everything manages to self-sabotage as much as you do." said Betty. She then shook her head complacently and walked off leaving him alone.

* * *

After a long day the pair enjoyed dinner at a cozy restaurant in a hotel a few blocks from Wilhelmina's building, while going over _Meade_ business. Wilhelmina was doing all the talking while Daniel tried his best to listen. Try as he may, he just wasn't all there and she noticed.

"Mind still reeling from the confrontation?" Willie asked pointedly.

"Uh…What?" asked a startled Daniel.

"Your mother…" She clarified "Still thinking about the lecture she delivered earlier?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry. Please continue."

"Well, while we're on the subject, though, why did you feel the need to pour your heart out to Hartley? You just had to share the joy?" She inquired dryly.

"He asked." He said defensively. He continued. "I guess he was making small talk right after you walked out and I…"

"Answered a little too honestly for your own good." She finished.

"Yeah, I really didn't notice that my mom was eavesdropping." He explained to which she rolled her eyes.

"And now Betty knows our business too." She said dully.

"She was listening in when my mother was yelling at me. So, yes she knows."

"Well, there's something I discovered about you that I can report about to that quack." She said cheekily.

"What?" He asked with a grin.

"Too honest for your own good." She replied.

"So you decided to give in and play after all."

"You could say that. But the truth is I'm beginning to warm up to the idea of getting to know one another." She admitted, slightly surprising Daniel.

"Really?"

"Neither one of us is going anywhere, therefore we might as well use this to become better partners and possibly take _Mode_ and _Meade Publications_ to greater heights."

"I'd like that." He admitted with a small lopsided smile.

* * *

Their evenings ended pretty much the same way. After dinner or drinks or their dreaded therapy sessions, the pair would end their day with a mind blowing sex and tonight was no different. After yet another sex romp, the pair lay sprawled on the bed, soaking in the afterglow while letting out heavy breaths. The moment came to an end when Willie sat up and reached onto her nightstand and pulled a drawer open to retrieve her pill bottle; another familiar nightly ritual.

"Wilhelmina…Can I ask you something?" Daniel's voice broke.

"Way to ruin a moment, Meade." She retorted weakly.

"I know you hate talking about deep, personal stuff but this could be my only chance because you're in a better mood. Why…are you taking pills to sleep rather than talk to someone?"

"I prefer it this way." She answered hastily before throwing her head back as she swallowed the capsules.

"Self-medicating? That's your answer to your problems?"

"First of all, I don't have a problem. I'm a big girl." She replied, her voice calm yet insistent.

"I know that but…"

"But nothing." She cut him off and finally turned her head to stare at him. He watched as she tried to mask the trace of emotion on her face "A man I fell in love and actually pictured a future with screwed me…and not in the way I liked. He practically bankrupted our company, nearly destroying something I have dedicated nearly 20 years of my life to. And the cherry on top was discovering that the baby I thought was mine actually wasn't. And I never even got the chance to…" She cut herself off, clenching her jaw. She released a sigh before she went on, "Work provides the perfect distraction and it's just the nights I need the pills for. I'm not an addict. It hasn't been that long and maybe in a few weeks or so I won't need any assistance." She spoke calmly.

He studied her momentarily but knew better than to say anything else and antagonize her. He shook his head at her logic. Assistance; that's what she called popping pills in order to get some sleep. He breathed a sigh of defeat and spoke up.

"Fine, so we can keep talking then."

"Of course." She said.

"You can tell me about your hobbies."

"Really, Daniel? She said, following an eye roll.

"Come on…" He urged.

"Okay…This may or may not surprise you but I'm an adventurous person." She stated. A look of surprise and disbelief flashed across his face. He furrowed his eyebrows looking into her eyes in search of any sarcasm. His reaction prompted her to elaborate.

"I am. It's just that when you are an acclaimed workaholic and thee ice queen, people tend to think that you're dull or something." She explained.

"So what do you like to do?" He asked, disbelief still present in his tone.

"I love to ski and for obvious reasons I can't do that all year long, I love reading, swimming. I'm also an art and vehicle enthusiast…" She replied. Another look of surprise colored Daniel's face causing a smile to curve her lips. "Why that look, 'cause I live in New York I can't be crazy about cars?"

"I didn't say anything…" He said with a lopsided smile.

"You didn't have to. I also love visiting the firing range and I enjoy playing video games." He shifted slightly, his head tilting and his brows furrowed as the look of amusement on his face grew more pronounced. He grinned, blue eyes boring into hers, thoughtfully studying her. He believed the firing range part, he'd seen her with a gun before but the last part was new.

"What?" She asked with a shrug and a grin that matched his.

"You're being serious?" Daniel asked, amusement evident in his voice.

"It helps me relax." She replied with a small shrug.

"Really?"

"Truly. I used to play with Nico just a couple of years ago. Some days after a long day at work, I get the urge to kill something and thanks to _Sony_ _PlayStation_ and now the _X-box_ I get to do just that." She stated casually. A laugh broke from Daniel's mouth which elicited hers.

"You should get your agent to set up a commercial for you. And it does not even have to be scripted, you can say exactly that. You can market the next _Call_ _of_ _Duty_!" He joked.

"Shut up." She playfully warned while he still heaved from laughter.

"I can see the caption now… _Call of Duty 3_ ; for the hard working career woman with the occasional urge to kill…" He joked, sending Willie in a bout of giggles.

"So, where's the gaming station?" He asked.

"In my media room."

"You have a media room in here?"

"Yes it's a media room and library." She said.

"I've been living in here for nearly two months now, how come I've never seen it?"

"The door in the dining room area." She answered.

"That's where that door leads to?" He asked as his interest piqued eight fold which Willie picked up on.

"Yes and it's off limits." She added quickly.

"Really?"

"Really. It's my private space." She finished with a yawn. The pair kept the conversation for a nearly half an hour before she began dozing off.

* * *

After she was out like a light, Daniel eased himself out of the bed and made for the media room. He opened the door and immediately found the light switch, flipped it and the dark room came to life. The first thing he noticed about the room was that despite having a similar design to her living room, this room was somewhat different. In spite of the room being a neutral color compared to the rest of the apartment, it was simple and inviting.

The walls were lined with floor to ceiling shelves that housed books, stacks of CD's and DVDs. The first object to grab his attention was the long sectional sofa to his right hand side, which faced a 60 inch television, a rolled up projection screen and a home theatre system. In front of it was an ottoman with a neat stack of magazines and the remote controls sitting neatly and few a feet away from it stood an empty popcorn machine. On the other section of the room, his eyes fell on the object of their earlier discussion sitting near another television set. Slowly, he began to walk the room. His intrigue tripled and questions exploded in his brain as he walked across the book shelves. He was sure that there were probably over eighty books on the shelves; unfortunately he only recognized a few titles, but only from their blockbuster adaptations. He even saw three to four copies of the same books in different languages. So she was multi-lingual.

For the first time he began to believe that she might not be the robot everybody assumed she was. He shook his head as he thought about how Wilhelmina seemed to lead such a normal carefree life behind closed doors; literally. Could this room this be where her true self lies? He couldn't stop thinking. Although he was oblivious, that night was the night his problems started as his infatuation with Wilhelmina Slater slowly began.


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER 10**

Three days proved to be a sufficient cooling off period after the mother-son argument as Claire's soft knock on Daniel's open office door caught his attention from his work. His heart leapt momentarily, a look of surprise spreading across his face. He watched as his mom stood at his door way, her face and demeanor a lot calmer in comparison to three days prior which offered some degree of relief.

"Mom!" He said, barely able to withhold the excitement in his voice. She took a step forward and walked over to his desk. He cleared his throat nervously trying to mask his excitement in case his mother came for round two.

"Came to bite my head off again?" He inquired.

"No, Son." she replied calmly.

"You're here to apologize?"

"Not by a long shot." she answered quickly. She sighed "Can we talk?"

"Of course." He replied after which she took a seat.

"Daniel, I may not always agree with your life decisions but you were right, you are an adult and you're supposed to make your own life choices….however disastrous they may be."

"Mom, please I don't need another lecture." He pleaded. She held up her hand in protest.

"Let me finish. Despite my feelings about…what you're doing…with her…you're my son and I love you very much. And I'm not gonna let Wilhelmina Slater win. I'm not going to let her take your father's legacy; this family's legacy right from under us."

"She's not gonna do that, Mom. I might not be the sharpest knife in the drawer but I'm not that stupid." He insisted.

"I know, Son. I never said nor have I thought you're stupid but you do stupid things sometimes. Honestly Daniel how do you think this is going to end? That she'll just walk away quietly with nothing to gain from this? That woman is vicious. She doesn't sleep with men if there isn't any kind of personal gain."

"Mom, you're worrying too much. I'm not gonna let anything of the kind happen, okay?"

"What is it about that woman that makes men just want to screw her? And here you are, trying to defend her once again…"

"I'm not…" He began to protest.

"You're choosing her over family." Claire rambled on.

"Mom, that's not true and you know it. I'm sorry that I've disappointed you."

"Just know that once this is over, I'll be here for you. I'm still your mother no matter what."

"I appreciate that, Mom." He said, smiling.

"Because if I don't stand by you, she wins. Wilhelmina wins and I cannot let that happen."

"She won't win anything. I promise." He said assuredly.

"How about we do lunch tomorrow so we can talk about something else other than that bitch or business?"

"Yeah, we should…" The unmistakable click of heels against the floor interrupted him. Daniel quickly averted his eyes from his mom to the doorway in panic, his eyes widening slightly. With an open file in hand and her eyes practically glued to it, Willie failed to notice Claire's presence in the office. She stopped in her tracks when she finally took her eyes off the document and rolled them before letting out a sigh of exasperation. The two Meades stared at her, Daniel with fear and Claire with contempt. Willie's eyes remained glued on the older woman, prepared for whatever snide comment she might utter.

"Eh…I'll come back later." The younger woman announced.

"I was just leaving." said Claire, turning back to Daniel "So what do you say to lunch? I'll make a reservation."

"Yeah, eh…sure." He answered watching the women carefully, willing his mother to leave without saying a word. Daniel watched in panic as the two women stared each other down.

"I'm not gonna let you destroy this family and its legacy anymore than you already have, Wilhelmina. I won't let you win. I just want you to know that." said Claire.

"Claire, I am really offended that you think that I would try to beat a dead horse. The philandering, faked deaths, sex changes and murder on your part. Those actions that caused the members of your own circle to view you as nothing but a circus are all on you. And the legacy you guys speak so highly of, you think that I would try to steal a company with a negative bottom line? Clearly being a housewife for such a long time screwed with your understanding of the corporate world." She said with a smirk, the last sentence spoken with feigned concern.

"You are such a vindictive bitch!" Spat Claire.

"Why thank you. At least I know it and take responsibility rather than blame my issues on other people. That's more of a Meade tradition." The older woman walked off without another word, leaving Willie and Daniel alone.

"Wilhelmina, you didn't have to do that." Daniel scolded after she settled on the chair in front of him.

"I know. I just felt like I needed to defend myself to your mother's accusation. I even forgot you were in the room." She spoke, plastering a fake smile.

"Well, what did you expect me to say?"

"Nothing and for once you did not disappoint." She replied.

"That's not fair." He began, however he was cut short.

"I came to talk to you about the circulation figures of _Excursions_. So let's just focus on that."

* * *

A week had flown by since his exhibition of Wilhelmina's apartment and for the first time in three years of working with her he managed to catch a glimpse of the life that Wilhelmina Slater led. Unfortunately for him he began to find it hard to get her out of his mind because of it. Everything about the woman began to fascinate him. She wasn't lying when she said she was adventurous. He found a closet full of evidence supporting the claim, from skiing gear to tennis racquets, hiking boots, wet suits and hunting rifles. To his surprise, it was around such time that he discovered he and Wilhelmina shared a number of interests with the exception of the hunting guns.

After yet another therapy session, the pair was sitting across from each other at dinner talking mostly about their company. However sales and circulation figures were not cutting it for Daniel as his interest was Wilhelmina's personal life.

"I've been thinking...I realized about a week ago that I knew absolutely nothing about you. I mean you as a person." said Daniel.

"Not meaning to sound like a bitch but, why would you know who I am?" asked Willie.

"I mean we're colleagues."

"Exactly, we spend an approximate eight hours a day in the same building and we've only spoken to each other out of necessity until this marriage thing."

"I know. I was just saying." He agreed with a small shrug.

"What makes you say that, if I may ask?"

"It's just, when you're used to seeing one side of a person you just assume that's all they are. I mean you listen to music and you sing along like normal people, you have a great voice by the way." He said.

"I kn-...Thank you?" She said and he gave a small chuckle.

"You watch movies. I mean you have a room converted into a home theatre, which I wasn't allowed to go into and you like to read. You're not as uptight as people think. You have a soft side you don't like to show and one might even say that you're...secretly nice."

"I'm not nice." She protested after successfully masking the surprise over the statement.

"So you just decided to let me watch movies in your media room, allow me to play your video games because you're a...bad person?"

"I'm just trying to get you out of my way." She said with a shrug.

"Okay…" He said, mimicking her shrug.

"I am." She insisted.

"Okay." He said, grinning.

"I'm serious." She affirmed.

"I said okay." He said, his face twisted into a grin. "I noticed you have copies of the same books in different languages. What's that about? You can read and speak all of them?" Daniel said after a while.

"Of course."

"How many?" He asked.

"I'm fluent in five." She responded at which his eyes gleamed with awe.

"Wow .I know you can speak French…but five? What are they?"

"French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and English…obviously." She listed.

"Fluently?" He asked, the astonishment evident.

"Totally." She answered.

"You're like a genius or something?" asked a fascinated Daniel.

"I don't think that's my decision to make."

"Okay, let me decide if you're a genius or not, how did you do on your SATs?"

"There are no SATs in France." She replied.

"You went to school in France?" Daniel asked, his voice still laced in astonishment.

"Yes, since I was eleven."

"Wow..." He said lowly. "So, wasn't it difficult?"

"What?"

"The transition, I mean. You went to a foreign country with an obvious language barrier at age eleven."

"Not at all. I attended a Lycée from age five and I was fluent in French within a year or so."

"You were speaking French at six? And you're still denying the genius part?" He asked.

"My mind is just what it is." She stated with a slight shrug.

"Look who's being modest." He teased.

"I have my moments." She said with a small smile.

After dinner, the fake couple took a stroll home as Daniel's friendly interrogation of Wilhelmina continued.

"See? that was fun." Daniel said upon reaching the lobby of their building.

"Don't get too excited, Meade. The next time we go out, it'll be your turn on the hot seat." said Willie.

"Fine by me, I've got nothing to hide." He said assuredly.

"FYI; we've all got something to hide."

"I'm an open book." He protested.

"We'll see." She drawled, smiling mischievously.

* * *

The buzz of the drunken patrons was nearly deafening in the bar where the pair spent their evening a few days later. Daniel was beginning to enjoy when he and Wilhelmina just talked about anything other than business. He found himself enjoying seeing her in a non-professional setting other than her home where she was all casual, hearing and seeing her laugh.

Daniel watched the sight before him with so much adoration. Wilhelmina all dressed down (in Wilhelmina standards), hair cascading down her shoulders, smiling as she talked and laughed in such a reflective way, her right hand spinning her glass at the base while she gestured with the other.

"So you remember you said that you once had a three way with Tommy Lee?" Daniel asked with a mischievous grin.

"Yeah?"

"Who uh…who was the other girl? Was it Pam?" He asked, grinning.

"Pam? Oh, God no!" Willie spat, grimacing in distaste followed by a short laugh.

"It wasn't?"

"Hell no! I told you I'm not attracted to women. Besides, why do you assume that the third participant was a girl?" She asked before bringing the tumbler to her lips.

"It wasn't another woman?" Daniel asked. Wilhelmina couldn't tell if the discreet change in his voice when he asked was from masked surprise or disappointment.

"No." She replied.

"You mean to tell me that Tommy…" He trailed off whispering, his eyebrows furrowing.

"No. He's not gay." She said quickly.

"I was gonna say bi-"

"No. He's just a rock star." She remarked, an answer that sent Daniel into a fit of laughter.

"What does that even mean? So, was it another member of Mötley Cr-…" He asked after the spell of laughter died down. Before she could provide an answer, a deep, accented voice a few feet away interrupted them, calling out Wilhelmina's name.

"Wilhelmina!" came that voice once more. They spotted the source as soon as they whipped their heads onto the direction and there stood a tall and lean gentleman flashing his pearly whites at Wilhelmina. Wilhelmina immediately smiled back and it became apparent to Daniel that she knew the man. Daniel watched as the man strode over. He was clad in a dark two-button perfectly tailored suit and if his eyes and fashion sense didn't deceive him, it was the from the latest _Armani_ collection. With his slicked back sandy blonde hair and the stubble, the man could easily have been one of the very models of the brand taking the outfit for a spin. When he reached their table, Willie stood up to embrace him.

"Hi Scott!" Willie said excitedly before pulling him into a tight hug. A wave of inexplicable jealousy began to rise inside Daniel as he watched the pair in front of him.

"How'd you do? It's been a while." He said with an English drawl after pulling away from the embrace, his hands however remaining on her body as they softly gripped her forearms.

"I know. I've been busy with work." She explained, the smile never leaving her face.

"That's perfectly understandable, as have I. That's why we've been missing each other so much lately and why I decided to take my mates from work out for some sherbets tonight." He said pointing to a section across the bar where a group of men and women sat, chatting and drinking. "And…who is this bloke?" He asked, finally looking at and acknowledging Daniel.

"Oh, where are my manners? This is Daniel Meade; my business partner. Daniel, this is Scott, we go to the same shooting range." Willie answered as she sat back down.

"Hey, mate good to meet ya." He said as he proffered his large hand to Daniel.

"Yeah…hey, nice to meet you too." Daniel awkwardly greeted as he engaged in the firm handshake.

"And he's also my husband." Willie added, eliciting a look of pure surprise from the handsome gentleman.

"What? You didn't tell me you were married. Now I'm gutted." replied Scott.

"It's pretty recent." She answered with a smile.

"Congratulations" He offered, despite the surprise remaining evident.

"Thank you." The pair simultaneously uttered.

"Blimey! You have a husband! Now that explains a lot." The man joked.

"Meaning?" Daniel and Willie asked simultaneously.

"Why you have such perfect aim!" explained Scott, causing the trio to chortle "Let me leave you two to your evening. I'll see you at the range. Don't be a stranger, you hear?" He said to Willie.

"I'll try my best. You have yourself a great evening too, Scott." Willie said.

"Mr. Meade." He said with a curt nod before turning on his heel.

"So he likes you." Daniel commented after a while.

"Scott?" asked Willie.

"Oh c'mon Wilhelmina." He said dryly.

"We only fire guns for two hours, once a week, Daniel."

"That doesn't stop him from liking you. He's British?" He asked.

"Yes, a Wiltshire native."

"So, what does he do?"

"He's in finance down at _Wells_ _Fargo_." She answered.

"Really? He's…uh…very charismatic."

"Indeed…" She drawled, her face twisted in confusion "Is something the matter?"

"What? No." He said quickly.

"Good, because if I didn't know any better, I would say Scott's presence made you less comfortable." She lightheartedly spoke and he responded with an awkward chuckle.

"Of course not." He replied before gulping his drink.

Later that evening, a conflicted Daniel lay awake next to a sound asleep Wilhelmina trying to figure out why the Scott character bothered him so much. It could be the way the pair looked at each other, particularly Wilhelmina. She was supposed to be married to him, yet she couldn't resist flirting with James Bond's double right in front of him. The way she flipped her hair and smiled at him, biting her bottom lip; classic flirty Wilhelmina. And the way she moaned when they were having sex caused Daniel to wonder if she was probably fantasizing about Scott.

And that punk; the way he looked and smiled at her. Daniel was a man and he recognized the lust from Scott based on his body language alone. The disbelief that crossed his face when she introduced him as her husband, as if a woman of Wilhelmina's stature couldn't possibly be with the likes of him. He didn't even know who he was and had to ask her. He began to believe that men like him were her weakness. The guy was English, worked in a managerial position on Wall Street, definitely rich with both cash and personality. He was practically a more muscular clone of Connor and she wanted to fuck him. It was obvious. As he tossed and turned, trying to understand his unexplainable jealousy, he hadn't realized that his live-in booty call was turning into a crush.


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER 11**

Sipping his beer, Daniel glanced at his wristwatch after one of his friends dipped out of the bar. After an invitation to hang out with the guys on Saturday evening, he jumped at the chance; a chance to get out of Wilhelmina's presence. However, the night out did not provide the distraction he was hoping for. Their boys club had lost its appeal and excitement over the past couple of years. The friend that just left was in a serious relationship and seemed to have a life beyond the skirt chasing lifestyle they all lead half a decade ago. There was only one other friend who was pretty much a clone of himself and Becks, one that hadn't actually done any growing up since college. Daniel's gaze followed his friend as he drunkenly stumbled about the bar, hitting on women and getting rejected with embarrassing frequency.

Daniel shook his head solemnly as he realized that maybe his life hadn't been as fulfilling as he previously thought and that maybe he was just as pathetic as his friend across the bar. He checked his phone for the twelfth time that evening. He had no idea what he was expecting, a text from her, updating him about her activities? Just then Becks who had gone to the bathroom returned, sat next to him and chugged his beer.

"So how are things going with the ice queen?" asked Becks.

"They're great." Daniel answered quickly.

"That's all you gotta say?"

"What do you want me to say, man?"

"C'mon I want the horny details. Just last month I could barely get you to shut up about boning the bitch and now all you have to say is 'great'? Getting tired of the pussy already?"

"Yeah, I think that's it." lied Daniel.

"Bullshit!" His friend spat.

"What?"

"I know you're a dog but c'mon, just three weeks ago you were talking about how she's a tomcat in the sack and now you're telling me you've had enough of the bitch?"

"Well, what can I say? You know me." He shrugged, playing it cool.

"I don't buy it." Becks said, shaking his head "Danny, you're not starting to like the bitch, are you?"

"No, man. No, no, no, of course not. Definitely not!" He dismissed.

"Good, 'cause you gotta keep your head in the game. Remember that she's just a notch on your belt. It doesn't matter if she's Wilhelmina fuckin' Slater. You don't want that devious seductress taking you for all you've got."

There goes that word again; bitch. He was beginning to resent it, particularly in reference to her. Sure he had called her bitchy when venting to his friends but had never actually referred to her as a bitch. Thus he was growing frustrated by his old friend throwing that word around with such freedom.

"Don't worry, I'm straight." Daniel said.

"You better be, Danny."

"I told you I'm straight." He spat, clearly annoyed.

"Good. If you ever feel like you like her or something just think about this; she used to blow and ride your old man and drove him to leave your mom." Becks rambled. Daniel clenched his hand into a fist as his frustration doubled.

"Thanks." Daniel uttered but his old friend was a little too drunk to grasp the sarcasm in his tone.

"And eh…my offer still stands. If you wanna test if you really like her, call me." His friend offered. Daniel, though annoyed plastered a fake grin in acknowledgement.

* * *

Upon his return from a rather uneventful night out, he walked into Wilhelmina's living room to find her sitting on the floor leaning against the sofa with her laptop, the book, takeout containers, and a martini glass sprawled on either side of her. His lips twitched into a smile as it was a rare sight finding her in such a laid-back state, minus the work in front of her. It was refreshing to see her eating something. Since he began living with her, he'd barely seen her eat. It was usually coffee in the mornings and a bagel on some mornings and she would do lunch or dinner with him. He hardly ever saw her eat on her own.

"Hey" She greeted before he did.

"Hey" He replied, walking over to where she was sitting "I see you've been busy."

"Yeah, kind of." She replied.

"What are you doing now?"

"Just some redlining." She answered, looking up at him.

"Need any help?" He asked.

"No, not really but if you want to stay and help, be my guest." She offered.

He immediately unbuttoned his jacket, shed it and lay it on the sofa, lowered himself to the ground and settled next to her. He didn't say anything at first but watched as she scribbled down her notes in her meticulous handwriting. He actually enjoyed watching her work; all serious and concentrating. In this period of living with her, he had come to call it the 'Wilhelmina Zone'. He watched her discretely while he inhaled her scent, her face free of make-up and her hair cascading down her shoulders. She was barefoot with short-shorts and a tank top. It still amazed him how she was so different when she was at home, given the fact that she seemed to be locked in couture dresses and six inch heels 24/7.

"So how was your night out?" She asked.

"It was good." He replied simply. However with the lack of enthusiasm in his tone, she didn't bother asking any further questions and just continued with her notes and left it at that. He sat quietly as he thought about his lame hard to believe answer. But then again, what was he supposed to say? That he spent his time with his friends checking his phone every now and again, hoping for a phone call or a text from her…that he was thinking about her the whole time he was with his friends and what she was probably doing? If she was lounging in her media room watching a film or reading a book or if she was thinking about him?

"What are you eating by the way? It smells so good." He finally asked.

"It's French take out."

"Oh? smells great." He murmured.

"Let me guess, you want some." She pointedly stated.

"Well, if you don't mind sharing."

"I don't. Help yourself." She offered.

"Thanks" He said before stretching out his arm to grab a container.

"Hey, hey, hey!" She warned, slapping his hand away. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I thought you said you don't mind sharing." replied a confused Daniel.

"Yes but I did not mean stick your filthy hands into my food. I don't know where those hands have been. You just returned from a bar. Now go wash your hands and bring back a fork." She scolded.

"Okay, sorry." He said chuckling and then stood up and hurried to the kitchen.

"You think this is your SoHo studio apartment where you could just stick your grubby fingers in food you're about to ingest?" She reprimanded lightheartedly.

"It's not a studio apartment, it's a loft." He corrected before disappearing to the kitchen area.

"Don't care!" She retorted causing another chuckle to escape from Daniel.

He returned shortly thereafter, with a fork and a beer in hand and settled back down next to her. She passed the containers over to him and he proceeded to stab his fork onto the contents. Even though they hardly noticed it, their therapy sessions seemed to have been helping with their communication. They sat there in the cozy living room with Daniel for the most part watching Wilhelmina work while he made a few suggestions here and there, which she surprisingly acknowledged and discussed with him. Spells of giggles and chuckles broke out every now and again as the pair ate and conversed smoothly.

"You know this reminds me of when Nico was little." Willie uttered out of the blue.

"How?" asked Daniel, slightly taken aback by the sudden revelation.

"Back in our old penthouse, she would walk into my office and ask me if she could help with my work. I'd then set up on the floor so we could have plenty of space to 'work' together." She said smiling fondly.

"Then I would give her some pictures along with a loupe and ask her to look at them and choose her favorites. Sometimes I would ask her to draw me pretty dresses which would be used in Mommy's magazine. I kept a box of crayons in the study just for that purpose. We would then 'work' while she told me all about her day and her little friends at daycare." She continued. An infectious smile crossed her features while she recounted the memory.

"Sounds like you had some lovely times together." He said softly.

"Yeah we did, but those days are long gone." She said lowly. "Gosh, I don't know why I'm telling you this." Then her eyes fell on the empty martini glass nearby, which she realized was her fourth and then realized why she was suddenly pouring her heart out to her mortal enemy. .

"She's a teenager, Willy." Daniel, who heard the sadness in her voice offered.

"I know, Daniel. I was one." She stated. "I know that I haven't been the best mother to her in the last couple of years. I don't even know how to go back to the way things once were even if that was actually a possibility. Even though I get frustrated with her attitude most of the time, I don't really blame her."

"Growing up, I wasn't my dad's biggest fan either. But you know what I realized? That maybe he wanted me to be more like Alex because that's what he viewed as success. No matter how he went about it, he wanted me to succeed, even though his idea of that might be debatable. Despite his many flaws, I never stopped loving him and I'm pretty sure your daughter feels the same way about you too." He said. His heart rate began to pick up pace as her blue eyes bore into his.

"Thanks, Daniel." She murmured. Suddenly Daniel felt her smaller, softer and warmer hand rest atop of his, a move that sent a shiver down his spine "That's incredibly comforting. Who knew you were this deep?" She joked nudging him with her shoulder with him offering a nervous chuckle.

Moments later, his eyes searched her face and met her piercing eyes and watched as they travelled to his lips; a clear sign the she wanted to kiss him just as much as he wanted to kiss her. He slowly leaned closer and closed his eyes upon feeling her lips touch his. He then felt her hand stroking his cheek as she moaned into the kiss. It wasn't long before she felt his hand under her tank top and grabbing a handful of her breast and giving it a light squeeze. Her hands fumbled with his clothes, first his shirt which she unbuttoned and slid off, his undershirt over his head was next and then his belt buckle and zipper. They broke the kiss and he used the short break to help her out of her tank top after which she was left in her bra and shorts. She felt his large hands roaming her upper body, upon resuming their exploratory kiss. She heard him groan in pleasure as she pushed her tongue into his mouth.

Daniel gently laid her on the floor and hovered over her before leaning down to continue the exploration of each others' mouths. The intensity of the kiss continued to increase. She felt him get harder against her thigh as his hand travelled down her torso and down her shorts. She moaned as she felt him begin to rub softly and soon after, he slipped his hand inside her. He rubbed her nub of pleasure briefly causing her to moan louder. She felt two, then three fingers inside of her and felt their slow motion in an out of her as she kept on getting louder while coating his fingers with her juices in the process. She shut her eyes as the assault continued, while Daniel on the other hand watched with great satisfaction, taking pleasure on her facial expressions as well as the soft sounds that escaped her mouth. The sight was making him harder and harder that the motion of his hand increased. She sucked in her breath, bit her lip and began to heave softly. It wasn't long before her body tensed up followed by a soft cry of pleasure at Daniel's amusement. She then watched in amazement as he brought his fingers to his mouth and sucking her juices off seductively, looking into her eyes. Her face heated as she continued to stare at him completely speechless.

He then proceeded to pull her shorts down and soon after, pulled his own pants and boxers down revealing himself. While kneeling between her legs, he was expecting her to push him on his back any minute, so she was on top but instead, he felt her hand on his cheek, caressing his face softly before pulling him down to devour his mouth. It was his turn to release a long deep moan, which was followed by another as he felt her tongue slip into his mouth once more while her hand began a soft stroke of his thick member.

A long soft groan escaped her mouth as she guided the hard member inside her center. After letting out his own groan, he began a slow thrusting motion. She closed her eyes momentarily as Daniel moved in and out of her. His mouth twisted into a cocky grin as at the sight, his eyes filled with lust as he watched her bite her bottom lip, moaning seductively with each thrust. He felt her hands slide down his back and softly gripping his ass as he thrust into her. However, he didn't increase his pace, he only began thrusting deeper. Her legs wrapped tightly around his waist. She arched her hips with each thrust, releasing soft erotic cries of pleasure at the deeper sensation. As they synced up, they looked into each others' eyes, Daniel's soft groans getting louder, matching hers. Too high on lust to even realize it, but for the first time since their arrangement began, the pair made and maintained eye contact during sex. She turned her head to the side, melting against the warmth of his skin. He then began to nuzzle at her neck.

"Oh, Daniel" She softly drawled at the feeling.

After his assault on her neck stopped, their eyes met again. He watched with her with unmatched desire as he drove into her; never had he wanted a woman more than he did her at that very moment. Her breath alternated between short and long gasps of pleasure as her business partner continued to drive into her warm core. He felt her claw at his back drawing a hiss of slight pain and pleasure. His large hands ran up and down her sleek skin as they continued to move together, the flickering glass encased fire creating a soft glow that seemed to accentuate her beauty, which was more intoxicating than all the alcohol he had consumed that evening.

"Damn, you're beautiful." He uttered, staring into her eyes.

Her hold tightened on his shoulder and back as he continued to push himself into her. Her fingernails ran down his back, her back arching and hips swiveling as she felt the familiar sensation beginning to build up inside her. Her breath now consisted of short gasps as she was nearing her release. His lips were on her neck once again as she whispered his name over and over. She felt his hard member growing harder with each thrust indicating he was close just as she was. His groans grew louder as he continued to plunge into her. Soon she released a long erotic gasp, her ankles tightening around his waist while her fingernails dug onto his skin. He followed right after and released a long groan as he erupted inside her trembling body. She then loosened her grip on his body and unwrapped her legs from around him as their orgasmic wave began to die down. Their eyes met again and Daniel covered her soft lips with his for a leisurely kiss before sliding out of her.

Covered in a fine sheen of perspiration, the pair collapsed on the floor, heaving. The two remained on the floor staring at the ceiling not saying a word. Ever since their arrangement began, tonight's session felt somewhat different, it was all over the air and they could both feel it. Wilhelmina quickly attributed the feeling to the martinis she consumed and the fact that he had just returned from a bar and thus maybe it was the alcohol. She also thought about how for the first time she let him get and stay on top of her and it still felt good; she would worry about the rug burns later. Daniel, who also appeared to be admiring the ceiling, was thinking the same thing; how everything felt somewhat different. It was usually more of a wham bam but tonight from the way they touched, kissed and explored each other's bodies, there was more passion. It felt more intimate than any other time they've had sex and that was a lot. And then it hit him, he had just made love to Wilhelmina. But he knew better than to voice it to her.

After their heavy breathing had decreased gradually, the post coital silence began to feel slightly awkward in comparison to the other times they have slept together. Willie hoped with all her might for Daniel to start talking and spew some random nonsense as he usually did sometimes after sex; anything to ease the tension. He did not disappoint.

"So…you have a gun…" He casually began at which she smiled before rolling her eyes. He really did not disappoint. They continued to chat and made love on the floor three more times that evening.

* * *

Daniel simply followed Willie's lead regarding their passionate lovemaking; by acting like it didn't happen. He thought she would bring it up on Sunday but she was nonchalant and went about her business and then he thought maybe he read too much into it and that she did not feel what he felt. However his problems accumulated as Wilhelmina, her eyes, her warm body, her smooth glowing skin, her moans and silky voice against his ear, her smooth legs as they wrapped and tightened around his waist, her writhing body underneath him and her soft lips began to take residence in his mind. For more than a day, he found himself getting lost in Wilhelmina whether she was present or not. It wasn't just sexual yet he couldn't place his fascination with his nemesis which seemed to have tripled in the course of two days.

He wore a grin of total satisfaction as he leaned back in his chair Monday morning, having just returned from a creative meeting where he witnessed with great pleasure as Wilhelmina subtly and eloquently put Cal Hartley in his place. The older man's obsession with power and control was getting out of hand that it was ticking Daniel off. He couldn't believe that Wilhelmina was right; the admiration crush was over and he finally saw the old man for what he really was. His mind kept on replaying the moment, the way she kept her cool and shut him down in a classy manner during a creative meeting no less. 'She was amazing. She was a total badass.' He thought, grinning.

Suddenly, a familiar click of block heels brought him back from his reverie. He sat up straight as he eyed his colorful assistant who was standing in front of him wearing her usual judging look. Before he could ask what the matter was, she spoke.

"Daniel, what's happening with you and Wilhelmina?" Betty asked.

"Uh...Betty I think you were listening in when my mom was reprimanding me right here."

"I mean what's happening with YOU and Wilhelmina?" She stressed.

"Okay...Meaning?" He drawled.

"Do you have feelings for her?"

"What? No! Wherever did you get that idea?" He asked.

"Because as of late you have this pining look towards her." answered the assistant.

"Pining look? What are you-...What pining look?"

"I've seen it twice over the past week alone. And just now with Cal. You had this 'look' about you when you were watching her."

"What? I can't admire my business partner who dared to challenge Hartley?" He asked, exasperated.

"It was more than that. I first noticed it last week when she was talking to Penny Meadows after the features meeting. Do you have feelings for her or something?"

As he was about to utter a lie which was sitting at the tip of his tongue, the relief of finally getting a chance to talk to someone overrode his pride. And Betty, his unofficial therapist was the perfect person to listen to his particular predicament. A sigh escaped his mouth before he started speaking.

"Okay, I think I might…have a small crush on her." He confessed and watched as the younger assistant grimaced. Even though she sort of figured it out, it was one thing to be suspicious and another when such suspicions get confirmed, simply because everything becomes real. And at that very moment Daniel just confessed to having feelings for the one and only Wilhelmina Slater. Betty was stunned to say the least. Was the sex that good?

"Wow" She whispered, her eyebrows knitted, searching Daniel's face to see if he would burst out laughing and tell her he was joking. "Uh…is she really that good?...In bed?" She asked, her ability to stop the words having been lost.

"What?" Asked Daniel, shock at her phrasing evident.

"I mean that's gotta be the only reason you…"

"It's not!" He replied.

"Then what do you see in her? She's evil."

"Please don't go there, Betty. Everyone has a dark side right. She's just more upfront about hers than most people. She's a totally different person behind closed doors."

"I would imagine." Betty sarcastically said.

"And by closed doors I don't mean between the sheets. I'm serious. She's different when we're at home okay? She's like everyone else; she's really cool, she likes music, she reads cool books, she speaks and reads different languages and…"

"She sounds like a dream…" She spewed sarcastically.

"Betty, I know it sounds ridiculous that I of all people..."

"Yes, it does" She agreed at which Daniel's face fell.

"You're a good person and she's a terrible, dishonest, vicious witch and has and will do anything to get what she wants. That includes almost marrying your father, getting your sister arrested, wanting to keep William who wasn't hers just to keep her steak at the company." said Betty. All of which was true. Daniel remained quiet and glanced at the young assistant, wishing that she did not have a point. Having Betty as his longtime supporter, he didn't quite prepare himself for her obvious disapproval.

"What? You were expecting me to say love will prevail and that you should forget everything and pursue her?" She asked, exasperated.

"I know that any kind of relationship with Willie beyond what we have now is not practical." He admitted.

"You think?" The young girl said, her face falling in annoyance.

"It's just a small crush, I'm not gonna act on it, Betty."

"You better not. You can't even play around with the idea of telling her either, not after all that she's done." Betty said, her voice filled with true concern.

"I know."

"And not to mention the fact that if she ever found out she might use it against you and take everything you've worked so hard for." She went on.

"Betty, I know. It's just a stupid little crush. You've got nothing to worry about" He guaranteed.

"Let's hope so. I don't want to see you get hurt, Daniel."

"It won't come to that, I promise." He said assuredly. However, as the saying goes; never make a promise you cannot keep.


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER 12**

By the time it took Daniel and Wilhelmina to grow closer to one another despite being oblivious to it, Marc had begun to pick up an unusual vibe between the two editors. He had been watching the pair for a week and their interactions around the office were a lot calmer in comparison to a month prior. This proved true even in his presence as they didn't break character despite him knowing their dirty little secret. He had been hearing less and less of his boss' rants about her fake husband lately. After picking his brain for what could possibly be the reason of this new tranquil working environment, there was only one explanation left. It was hard to comprehend let alone believe, yet it wasn't completely impossible. He needed to know, hence his visit to Willie's office early in the morning.

"Willie!" The young assistant greeted cheerfully. She immediately averted her attention from her work and to the chipper assistant.

"Good morning, Marc." She greeted. She watched with curiosity and confusion as he hurried over with both hands full; a whole wheat bagel in one hand and a tall coffee cup in the other. Something was on his mind, it was clear. Probably office gossip, she assumed. He set the cup and the bagel down on her desk as she continued to stare at him in confusion.

"Good morning! Your whole wheat bagel, just the way you like it and a mocha latte, just the way you like it." He announced proudly.

"Marc, what's this?" She asked.

"It's your breakfast." replied the assistant.

"I didn't ask for any breakfast."

"Yes, I know but I anticipated that you probably didn't eat today, so…" He said sliding the items across the desk.

"I'm getting the feeling that you're buttering me up for something." She stated indifferently.

"Well..." He began awkwardly.

"If it's a vacation request; out of the question. You take vacations when I take vacations." She reminded him.

"I know."

"If it's a day off, it's for emergencies only and you have to bring me a competent assistant; two days is the maximum. Final offer." She affirmed calmly.

"That's not it. Can we talk…as friends?" He asked carefully but the look she shot him forced a quick rephrase "Or as…long time assistant and boss?"

"What is it, Marc?" She asked, annoyance creeping into her voice. He carefully sat down and cleared his throat nervously.

"Are you and Daniel…" He began trailing off.

"Are me and Daniel what?" She asked, glaring at him suspiciously.

"Are you…you know….really together, like intimately…sexually?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Marc. I loathe him you know that." She denied, her tone dismissive.

"I know but the two of you seem…calm around each other lately."

"We have an image to maintain." She said quickly.

"True, but yesterday after the creative meeting he said he liked that ridiculous idea by what's-her-face and you didn't crush him with one of your clever comebacks." He said.

"Like I said, we have an image to uphold." She asserted.

"I was the only other person in the conference room besides the two of you, Willie." He persisted.

"Marc, please just…"

"I know what you gonna say but as your friend, I'm concerned."

"Concerned with what exactly?" she snapped.

"Are you…are you sleeping with him?" He inquired carefully and then watched her just the same in an attempt to gauge her reaction. A short wave of defeat swept over her and she decided to just come on out with it.

"Well, we are husband and wife, aren't we?" She stated nonchalantly; a response that caused Marc's mouth to drop. His little suspicion had been confirmed and yet it still felt surreal.

"So…you're sleeping together?" He asked again, feeling the need to confirm her implication.

"Like I said, we are husband and wife. I know what you're going to say but I have needs and so does he. It's the perfect arrangement. No strings attached."

"And you're absolutely sure about that?"

"What do you mean? I have had plenty of no strings attached sex before, Marc."

"I'm sure you have. But, Willie…is it a scheme?" He finally asked the question that has been burning in his mind.

"Not everything I do is an elaborate scheme, Marc!" She spat, her annoyance evident.

"I know, Willie. I didn't mean…"

"I know and if pattern of behavior is anything to go by, I'm not surprised that you made such an assumption."

"Willie, I…" He started.

"It's okay, Marc."

"So…" He began after a brief spell of silence.

"What?"

"Daniel…Is he packing, is he any good?" He quizzed giddily.

"Marc!"

"But Willie" He whined.

"Don't you have work to do? Because I know I do. And I'm not going to even bother with the classic cliché that this does not leave this office." She warned subtly at which he jumped to his feet.

"Got it" He said before hurrying off.

"And…uh…thanks for the breakfast." She mumbled as her assistant walked out.

* * *

Sunday night the pair decided to stay in for dinner with Willie suggesting that they order in. Daniel on the other hand offered something better; to make dinner himself. The offer was of course met with skepticism from Willie who at first thought that he was attempting a joke. Nevertheless, a little over two hours later, Daniel announced that dinner is ready. Curious, Willie jumped from the couch, tossed her book aside and hurried to the kitchen and met him at the island where the casserole sat and much to her surprise, it looked and smelled delicious.

"So?" He said boastfully after observing her reaction.

"Wow…" She murmured as she observed the finished product.

"So, you're gonna have some?" He asked casually.

"Sure, so that if someone asks me if I ever had Daniel's spaghetti and meatballs, I can say 'yes'" She stated lightheartedly.

"Fine by me." He said after letting out a cackle "Let me set the table real quick."

"I'll get the wine." She announced before walking off.

Shortly after Willie walked out, Daniel's nerves returned. They had never stayed in for dinner before. His growing feelings for Wilhelmina certainly didn't help because now he was over thinking every interaction they had been having lately. His mind raced over whether he should set up in the kitchen or the dining room or if the latter would be considered too intimate. He also obsessed over the sitting arrangement about how close was too close when only two people were dining. He settled on setting up the dining room table. As he was finishing up, Willie returned with a bottle of wine and two glasses.

"Thought I should break out the Pinot Noir." She announced before setting the bottle and stem-less glasses on the table. Soon thereafter the pair was enjoying the meal while chatting casually.

"Wow, this is…" Willie started, still amused by the meal.

"Be honest." He encouraged in spite of his nerves. Wilhelmina was not easy to impress.

"No, it's delicious. It's just that I hardly eat spaghetti…and meatballs but this is surprisingly delicious." She complemented.

"Thank you" He said casually, masking the relief he was feeling.

"So are you a one trick pony or you can cook other meals other than your favorite?" She asked bluntly yet playfully.

"No, I can prepare a few dishes. By the way how do you know this is my favorite?" He quizzed.

"I'm just assuming. I don't think I've ever seen you this excited over a meal before." She replied.

"Fair enough." He said before bringing the fork to his mouth.

"So, when did you learn to cook?"

"Well, I started reading some French cuisine cook books and watched some how-to videos when DJ was around. I kinda wanted him to feel at home somehow, so I decided to learn to make the food he was familiar with and I learned to make a few of my favorites."

"That's sweet. You really love him don't you?" Willie asked rhetorically.

"Yeah…" He said solemnly.

"He's lucky to have you in his life." said Willie.

"Well… he doesn't really have me in his life." He confessed.

"Meaning?"

"Ever since he left there's been three or four phone calls."

"How come?"

"C'mon, you of all people should know." He said, his tone distant.

"The situations are slightly different, though. The kid I lost is not old enough to pick up the phone and make his own decision to talk or maintain a relationship with me." She retorted, her tone just as bland. He instantly dropped the distant demeanor as he was reminded that they had both gone through the pain of losing a child even if the child wasn't biologically theirs.

"I was really disappointed when he left. It was such a blow, you know?" He admitted.

"I know it well."

"Just as I was beginning to warm up to the idea. I actually felt like I had something to live for and for the first time I felt like my life finally had a purpose." He continued.

"Meaning?"

"I've been nothing but a screw up my entire life. When DJ came along and I acknowledged the fact that he could possibly be my son, I promised myself to cut the bull and just do things right and be a good father. I thought maybe that's something I was meant to do. And I was beginning to screw up. I wasn't ready."

"Screw up? Daniel, I saw how you interacted with him. You were doing just fine." She reassured.

"But I wasn't ready." He protested. "I let him do whatever he wanted; disrupt photo shoots and act out. We ate takeout every night and I didn't discipline him, all because I wanted him to like me better than I liked my own dad."

"That's normal."

"On his first day of school I told him that if he liked a girl he shouldn't focus on her alone and that he should play the field and flirt with other girls and we also talked about playing hookey and he thought I meant hooker and I told him that he can get hookers when he's older." He revealed at which Willie narrowed her eyes.

"Exactly, not only is that wrong, it's also illegal. I mean what was I teaching him? That he should be a douchebag like me? Part of me is kinda relieved that he's not really my son." He admitted uncomfortably.

"You had been a father for only a month. You were practically thrown into fatherhood. You were not going to get everything right in just one month." She consoled "You're still young, Daniel. You can still have children and be the dad you want. Furthermore, you can't let your disappointment with DJ's paternity prevent you from having a relationship with him. You're still family."

"I know." He whispered.

* * *

They wrapped up the evening with a movie in Willie's media room laughing and discussing the annoying tropes of Tinseltown. Nevertheless, in the mist of the discussion they found themselves cruising down sappy lane when Daniel suddenly went off topic.

"You were married right?" Daniel rhetorically asked.

"Yeah?" replied Willie, clearly caught off guard.

"Do you ever miss it?"

"Miss what?" Willie asked, her gaze still on the big screen. It was apparent that she was uncomfortable with this line of conversation.

"Marriage, having someone."

"No" She answered quickly, her tone a tad distant.

"Come on, not even a little bit?" He coaxed. In spite of her reservation about the subject, she gave in and let out a sigh before giving a suitable answer.

"I guess the proper answer is; a little. We had great times but I've moved on and I don't like thinking about it."

"Which is why I didn't ask if you missed HIM and if you missed the life; having a partner, a kid and everything."

"I'm content with my life as it is." She insisted evenly but Daniel could pick up the suppressed defensiveness. She shifted slightly and then scooted a little further from him. He knew Wilhelmina was not the type to open up about her feelings. He saw that she was slightly uncomfortable and wasn't taking any pleasure in agitating her. If he wasn't so desperate for answers he would have let it go.

"I've noticed, which is why I asked. Don't you ever feel…I don't know, like something is missing? Or maybe you just want more?" He continued and to his relief she softened.

"Okay, I'm beginning to suspect that you watch too much television or you listen too much when your pathetic 'girls' ramble." She joked to which he chuckled.

"Why do you say that?" He asked.

"Is it that hard for you to believe that a woman can be happy with her life without a man or kids?" She inquired calmly.

"No. It's just that…not just women, I mean…with everybody. As we're getting older…" He stuttered "Okay, take me for example; the life I was living two years ago is no longer satisfying and I want more." He admitted. She shifted and adjusted her body to face him directly. He mirrored her movements and they were now facing each other with Daniel watching her incredulous expression.

"You mean to tell me waking up in your man cave next to some model, riding a luxury car to a job where you practically did nothing, no offence… with an assistant who would take a bullet for you…where you got to tell your subordinates what to do…where at the end of business day you either went home with one of the hot office girls or went to a bar to hang with your friends and went home with another conquest is no longer satisfying?" She rambled at which he first responded with a soft chuckle.

"That's what I'm saying. I want a home, not a loft or an apartment. I want to come home to someone…people." He admitted.

"You want a family." She finished.

"Yeah… Don't you?"

"It's too late for me." She replied before biting her bottom lip. "But I completely get you."

"So, do you think there's a chance for me?" He asked sincerely.

"Of course, you're still young…" She insisted with a shrug.

"I meant a chance at being…a good husband and father…someday. Given my dysfunctional family and the fact that I don't have the best track record when it comes to relationships, I'm not even sure that I've ever been truly in love. I always go for the looks and unable to see what's inside. Do you think I'll ever make a good husband and father? Better than my own dad?" He asked his eyes boring into hers. She offered a small smile before shaking her head softly.

"Daniel, I'm not the right person to make that assessment." She began. "But what I see from you is that you actually want to settle down and start a family. That's growth. You are not forced by circumstances such as a pregnancy or what is expected of you either by your parents or society. It's something that you truly want and when you know what you want, you do a better job at protecting and preserving it once you actually get it. And because of that you'll outdo Bradford in the family aspect. Believe me."

"Thanks. That means a lot."

"Not that you owe me a damn thing but please do me a favor; do not jump into marriage with someone you don't truly love just because of the desire to have a family. That would be a mistake." She warned.

"I won't."

"Just be smart."

"I will." He promised with a small smile.

"Good."

And thereafter the pair turned their attention back to the screen and spent the rest of the evening talking and dissecting the plot of the film. After a while, Daniel noticed that Wilhelmina had grown noticeably quiet and when he looked over she had dozed off. He smiled adoringly as he continued to stare at her for a few minutes before waking her to go to bed.

* * *

He wore a dopey grin the next morning as he devoured his pancakes, the memory of the previous night lingering on his mind. He was a little annoyed with himself because he was having a difficult time getting rid of the look on his face and Wilhelmina was due to walk in any minute. The remedy finally came upon hearing her heels click against the marble floor. Suddenly she emerged all dressed up, made up and ready to go.

"Hey" She greeted.

"Good morning" He replied. He thanked his lucky stars that she dashed for the coffee machine as soon as she entered because she would have noticed how his face lit up when she walked in. She grabbed a mug and proceeded to pour herself some coffee. Daniel watched her movements with admiration. God she looked so beautiful and so damn sexy in her couture that seemed to outline every curve of her body perfectly. He shook those thoughts away as that was not the reason for this new found admiration.

"You were wrong you know?" He spoke up at which she unintentionally gave a dramatic turn.

"Well, I'm intrigued." She said with a slight eyebrow raise. "Because I'm hardly wrong about anything. What was I wrong about?"

"Last night when you said you weren't the right person for me to ask you about whether I'd make the right family guy. You were actually the best person to talk to."

"You think so?"

"If I had asked my mom or Betty, they probably would have said 'yes' without question but deep down I would be skeptical, wondering if they were telling me what I wanted to hear. But with you I know it's real because despite not getting enough credit for it; honesty is one of your best qualities." He stated while amusement played on her face. "Plus you're not exactly fond of me, so I knew whatever answer you gave would be an honest one and not something to make me feel better."

"Well, I'm glad I could help. And by the way about that last part…maybe I've been cohabitating with you a little too long but you're kind of growing on me, Meade." She revealed smiling mischievously before reaching for the newspaper and settling opposite him.


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER 13**

A strong scent of hairspray filled the air as Willie stepped into the studio with Marc in tow. Upbeat music was pulsing with people dashing about in the enormous room in preparation for the photo shoot about to commence. Despite Hartley coming to their rescue, some budget cut implementations were still in place, therefore the Meade photo studio and green screen had once again become useful. Willie immediately made for her personalized director's chair, her eyes wandering around as the final preparations took place. She spotted Daniel across the room having a word with the photographer while Betty stood nearby.

"Willie…here." said Marc, handing her the call sheet. He watched as she skimmed through the document. The assistant knew he was risking his life for attempting but he figured since he couldn't talk to anyone else about this situation he might as well talk to one of the parties involved. He had been paying close attention to the 'couple' since Willie's confession and more and more questions seemed to arise. As she glossed over the pages, he took a leap of faith and spoke.

"Willie?...how are things between you and Daniel?" He asked.

"There's nothing between me and Daniel, you know that. We're just…"

"Fun buddies. I know. So there's no conflict…nothing, just sex?"

"Yes." She replied. He gained a little bit of bravado and continued.

"Is he…you know…really good?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"He has been a surprise to tell you the truth." She admitted, her tone laced with amusement while glancing at Daniel.

"In what way?"

"In the sense that I now know why all those 'Daniel's girls' kept going back to him." She answered with a smirk. She managed to surprise both herself and Marc upon making such an admission. Maybe it was her mood because under normal circumstances she would have shut down that line of conversation, however she found herself opening up to her assistant.

"Willie!" Marc exclaimed, his face contorted in surprise. A smile played on her face as a result of his reaction. "Willie…" Marc began, with concern in his tone. "Are you sure that it's just physical?"

"Why, because I just happened to show my teeth when talking about him? Wait, you don't think just because I said that I have feelings for him, do you?" She asked, her eyebrows knitting.

"Oh…no. Of course not!" He answered quickly.

"I'll have you know that contrary to popular belief, women are capable of having sex without any strings attached…just like men." She affirmed.

"I know that. I wasn't talking about you. I noticed that Daniel…" He trailed off.

"Daniel what?" She inquired quickly.

"He seems to kind of…like you?" The young man replied.

"What?"

"It's just…the way he looks at you. It's how I noticed that you two were a thing." He explained.

"Firstly, we are not a 'thing'. Secondly, that look you see; that's called lust. And lastly, Daniel Meade invented the no strings attached sex. Even if he would fall on his own sword, do you really think I would be the one he would fall for? Marc please." She reasoned, followed by a snort.

"Stranger things have happened."

"Marc, that's not going to happen." She affirmed.

* * *

Not that they would admit it to each other but therapy proved to be the best thing for the two Editors-in Chief as their relationship enjoyed a significant transformation. Their nights out no longer felt like a drag and any tension that existed whenever they went out seemed to have declined gradually. Now instead of throwing insults back and forth, their evenings were filled with interesting conversation and comical moments. And tonight was hardly an exception.

After a fun dinner a block away from Wilhelmina's building, they took a casual stroll back home. They were sharing a laugh at one of Willie's witty remarks which Daniel had grown to appreciate.

"Wow, Wilhelmina Slater I have to say, you are one hell of a woman. Now you got me wondering." He admitted.

"Wondering what?" She inquired.

"How things would be if we met under different circumstances." He confidently drawled, his voice deep and seductive.

"Daniel, we didn't exactly run in the same circles, so you being made my boss by your father was the only way you and I could have met and be in each other's lives."

"I disagree. I attended countless of A-list parties, Willie."

"So? You think that would have increased your chances of getting with me?" She asked.

"I can be very charming." He said and if it was unclear if he was flirting with her, it definitely was after uttering those words.

"Oh, please, schtooping drunk models you met at parties that I would have possibly attended does not mean that I would have given you the time of day." She retorted earning a chuckle from Daniel.

"Okay, first of all 'schtooping'?" He questioned the statement, grinning.

"Hey, I just had half a bottle of Port wine, leave me alone." She quipped to which he responded with another cackle.

"You underestimate me, Wilhelmina."

"I don't think so, Meade."

"I can be very persuasive. I got some smooth moves; moves that worked on a number of celebrities, even the uptight ones." He boasted.

"Like Angie?" She asked, seemingly unimpressed.

"Among a few." He replied with a smirk.

"Well, who's underestimating who now? I can be very uptight. Believe me, I'm not that easy, especially to the likes of you."

"Clearly you haven't seen my moves." He insisted. She stopped and pursed her lips before inching closer to him. Meanwhile, Daniel felt his heart begin to thud a little faster.

"Don't lay it on too thick, Danny boy. It makes you look a tad less studly." She breathed, her voice low and enticing. Daniel cleared his throat as a sudden wave of nervousness overcame him. He wasn't prepared for her to flirt back and it was showing.

"You…think I'm studly?" He asked, taken aback.

"Of course." She responded. For a moment they stared at each other, sizing each other up with passion burning in their eyes. Her gaze then flickered from his blue eyes to his lips and back to his eyes and then did the unthinkable, she leaned in and brushed her lips to his. Daniel immediately closed his eyes as he felt her tender lips brush upon his. He fell into the kiss and responded just as softly. He felt a flicker of her warm tongue; tasting the sweetness of the wine they just consumed, coaxing him to deepen the kiss. He gently cupped her face into his large hands as the kiss deepened. However, the moment was brief as he felt her pulling away. "When you're not being a douche…" She teased after breaking off the kiss with a pop.

* * *

As she lay next to a drooling Daniel, Wilhelmina's mind was reeling. Earlier in the evening on their way back home, she had flirted with him. She flirted with Daniel Meade. He had flirted with her first and she played along in an attempt to screw with him and amuse herself. Then all of a sudden she found herself totally into it, overwhelmed with feelings she couldn't quite understand. She called him a stud and then leaned in and kissed him. Why the hell did she do that? She could blame it all on the wine but she wasn't tipsy at all. She knew it wasn't the alcohol, she simply wanted to kiss him. She had kissed him countless times before at the start of foreplay. Even then it was usually heated kisses, lips slamming against each other with a lot of tongue involved. But not tonight, she was driven by something else other than arousal. That much was clear.

Then she began mulling over the moments leading up to the kiss. She couldn't figure out the slight pang she felt when Daniel talked about his 'moves' and his previous conquests which included a few famous names. That pang however wasn't that of disgust from him bragging about charming countless of women's panties off, it was the slight jealousy one often feels when they find out how many lovers their significant other has had before them. But that usually happened when one likes the other person and that was certainly not the case with her and Daniel. Their relationship was nothing but a court order. But why did she feel this way? Was Marc right? Was this evolving into something more than just sex and from her end nonetheless? She immediately dismissed the idea.

She was Wilhelmina, she had to have an answer for everything and thus made an inference that her supposedly liking Daniel was a result of that deep conversation that took place weeks before where he asked her about her desire for family. He must have touched a nerve with that line of conversation. Ever since that night she realized that she missed human interaction. Other than work and the A-list events she attended, she had limited human interaction as she came home to an empty apartment with no one to talk to. Maybe she wasn't as content as she previously thought and maybe she desired someone; hell she admitted it herself months ago that there was room for one more person in her life. So all she did when she flirted and kissed Daniel and the feelings that went through her before that was nothing more than projection. She told herself that was all there was to it. And she believed it and that's what eased her mind which led her to finally fall asleep. Sometimes denial can be the only option to ease one's mind. However, the satisfaction of lying to oneself is only temporary.

* * *

A silver lining with the debacle was that it brought Betty and Marc closer than they have ever been before. One knowing glance at each other a few weeks back wondering if the other knew about their bosses' secret was all it took and they have been barely separable ever since. They met in the not-so-secret sex dungeon on a near daily basis to discuss their bosses.

"The excitement about this whole thing is wearing off though." Betty said worriedly.

"Are you serious?" asked Marc.

"I mean it's great having someone to talk to about it other than Hilda, Justin and Papi but I'm really worried." She admitted and Marc knew what she was implying.

"That your boss is gonna fall hard?" He asked which caused Betty's eyes to widen in surprise.

"Yes, how do you know?"

"I've been watching him and I've seen how he looks at her lately." Marc admitted.

"Exactly, yet he refuses to see it!"

"So does Willie. She's completely blind to it and claims that Daniel can handle it with him being a man-whore and all."

"But can he, though? Because he's changed quite a lot from that. Just months ago he was settling down with Molly and even before that, after DJ left he talked about having a family. I just don't want him to get hurt."

"Well, you and me both. Because I think Willie kinda likes him too." Marc revealed.

"Wh- No! What? How do you-…What!" spluttered Betty.

"Maybe not as much as he does her but there's something there, Betty. Trust me. Just yesterday, I was-…"

Suddenly, their attention turned toward the door that just swung open, revealing Amanda. The receptionist only rolled her eyes at their deer-in-the-headlights expressions.

"Thought I'd find you here." The blonde said pointedly.

"Amanda!" The duo said in unison.

"We were just…uh …talking about…" Betty began timidly.

"Our YETI projects and uh…" Marc continued.

"Omg, you guys! Sneaking off all the time to discuss Mom and Daddy _Mode_ 's sex life is exhausting, annoying…and kinda creepy; especially when you do it in here." The blonde said, gesturing to the dim surroundings. Their initial reactions were child's play compared to that moment.

"What? You know about that?" asked a baffled Marc.

"She could be bluffing." Betty whispered nervously.

"Oh, please! I know the marriage is phony and is for the cameras. And now Daniel and Wilhelmina kinda like each other and are doing each other. I know that you two just found out, seeing how you keep disappearing thinking no one notices. And by no one I mean ME." She admitted nonchalantly.

"How do you know? When did you even find out?" Marc asked.

"A few days after the Vegas shoot I opened Daniel's _Fed-ex_ package. I saw the photos and put two and two together; that Daniel and Wilhelmina got hammered at the shoot and accidentally got married. That's why they didn't return with the rest of the crew. They stayed together for publicity and have been banging each other for months."

"How did you know that they were…you know?" Betty asked.

"Really? I could smell the sex all the way from the reception desk with those two and you actually work closely with them." She shook her head in lighthearted disapproval. "Not to mention that Daniel keeps on undressing Wilhelmina with his eyes whenever she's not looking."

"Wow, you figured it out just like that?" inquired Marc, still bemused.

"I know, right? I don't just answer phones and look pretty in that donut. I watch and I observe. But people dismiss my theories all the time because when you're this pretty no one cares about your capabilities." She said running the fingers down her blond locks. "Now let's go, Wilhelmina's looking for you." She told Marc. Then the trio proceeded to walk out of the dim room.

"Why didn't you say something earlier?" Betty asked, a little frustrated.

"Excuse me, and spread rumors around the office? Sorry, Betty but I'm not one to gossip." The blonde said confidently. Betty eyed her in disbelief; it was as if the blonde believed her own statement.

"You're not one to gossip? You gossip all the time. You gossiped about my outfit….and that was this morning." complained Betty.

"But if it's a fact though, is it still gossip?" Marc deadpanned.

"Besides, it's not gossip when people are talking about you while you are totally there." Amanda argued as they walked out of the closet.

* * *

As Betty walked over to her desk, she shot a glance at Daniel in his office through the glass partition and something peculiar caught her eye. Daniel appeared to be engrossed in something she couldn't quite figure out. She momentarily froze upon making out what it was; Daniel was reading…a book. At that moment, he caught sight of her and motioned her in. She composed herself and walked in.

"Betty, where have you been? You've been gone from your desk for more than half an hour. I've been looking for you."

"I was…getting a snack." She lied, her attention on the book in her boss' grasp. As she got closer the title became clearer which set off another shock. "What did you wanna see me about?"

"I signed off on these photo budgets and editorials. Please take these to Style & Beauty and Features." He said pointing to the documents sitting on his desk.

"You're reading _Lord of the Rings_?" She inquired as casual as she could.

"Oh, yeah!" He said excitedly.

"Wow." She murmured under her breath.

"Say that again, Betty! This book is amazing; this is the book that the movie was adapted from. Did you know that the movie was adapted from a book?" He asked with enthusiasm.

"Yeah, I did actually." She answered.

"Of course, you did!" He said with a shrug.

"Did you know that it's actually a sequel of another book called…" He tried once more.

"The Hobbit….yes I know."

"Of course you know that too." He said.

"I better take these." She announced before grabbing the files.

On the double his attention was back on the book. As Betty walked away she thought back to the last time Daniel actually read a book and it was when he was crushing on Sofia Reyes and was desperately trying to impress her. She also thought back to him mentioning months earlier that Wilhelmina was some sort of a bookworm and that one of her favorite books is _The Lord of the Rings_. She couldn't believe the very fears she expressed to Marc moments ago had already come true. To her absolute horror and disappointment she realized that she was a little too late because Daniel was in love with Wilhelmina Slater.


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER 14**

The beautifully decorated expansive hall was bustling with soft hums of conversation and pompous laughter as Daniel and Willie made their way in, plastering fake smiles. The regal decoration along with the large glittering chandelier dangling from the tall ceiling was completed by a classical music string band in the background. A slew of wealthy tuxedo clad businessmen with receding hairlines made up a majority of the guests along with their trophies in their arms, also known as wives. The pair was met with curt nods and smiles from those who knew them and about their recent nuptials. The event in question was a fundraising mixer hosted by Cal Hartley. It was nothing more than a meet-and-greet schmooze fest where the rich and elite got to kiss each other's asses for a few hours while pledging vast sums of money into various charities in order to lower their taxes. Thus, as his humble servants Daniel and Wilhelmina's presence was mandatory. It was Hartley's opportunity as the host to parade his biggest charity project to his rich friends; saving a multimillion dollar corporation on the verge of bankruptcy.

After being welcomed with complementary champagne, the pair caught sight of the host across the room and of course he wasn't alone; Claire was beside him as his date. Daniel's hand tightened nervously on Wilhelmina's lower back as they made their way over.

"Daniel, Wilhelmina, glad you could make it!" The older man exclaimed, his smile as pompous as the rest of the attendees.

"Thank you for inviting us." Willie said.

"Yeah, great turn out." Daniel said, unsure if that was what he was expected to say or not.

"Wilhelmina." Claire contemptuously breathed.

"Claire." The younger woman acknowledged. And then a staring contest ensued. Fortunately, familiar with the animosity between the two women Cal spoke up to diffuse the tension.

"Let me introduce you two to a few people." He said before leading the pair around the room.

A half an hour went by before the meet-and-greet session which was comprised of corporate small talk and congratulations was finally over. The 'couple' retreated to a nearby spot where they had their own private conversation which was far more interesting than what they were forced to endure so far. They were enjoying each other's company; just talking and having a few laughs. That was until Daniel spotted a familiar face a few feet away upon peering over Willie's shoulder. He felt his grip tightening on the flute in his hand.

"Becks?" He whispered and Willie craned her neck to the direction just as Becks was making his way over, smirking.

"Hey, Danny! What's up?" He said upon reaching the duo.

"Becks." greeted Daniel, with less enthusiasm than his dear old friend. "What are you doing here?"

"Same thing you're doing; rubbing shoulders with New York's finest." He replied with a grin.

"You know Cal?" Daniel quizzed.

"Barely. A friend invited me. Are you gonna introduce me?" He inquired while smirking at Wilhelmina.

"Oh…yeah…uh Wilhelmina, this is Becket Scott, my friend. Becks…this is my wife Wilhelmina."

"Pleased to meet you." said Willie.

"Enchanté. And please call me Becks." Becks replied smoothly before gripping Willie's hand and bringing it to his lips. She watched as he grinned at her and from that look she could tell that he knew about their bogus union.

"You know Danny and I go way, way back." He said placing his hand on Daniel's shoulder.

"Really?" Willie said.

"Yeah…We've known each other since freshman year." Daniel replied tentatively.

"Yeah, He and I have been tight ever since the mid 90s. We've actually been friends longer than some marriages." He joked causing Willie and Daniel to respond in forced laughter. "You know Danny's told me so much about you."

"I'm afraid I can't say the same about you." She admitted.

"It looks like our Danny boy here doesn't like to share." He said smirking at the couple, making Daniel uncomfortable. "But he'll change his mind and hopefully you and I will get acquainted real soon."

"I look forward to it." She responded.

"Let me leave you two to it. Have a pleasant evening." He said before walking off.

"Wow…that was…interesting." Willie remarked.

"You don't get out much or something?" Daniel quipped.

"I mean watching him try so hard not to be the tool he totally is."

"Yeah he definitely is." Daniel agreed.

"I could see you wishing for him to leave before he could say the wrong thing. Everybody has that one friend."

"He definitely is that one friend." He remarked.

As the soirée wore on, the pair continued to enjoy themselves, sharing laughs and light touches in between conversation. Daniel was mesmerized by the smiling beauty that stood before him. It was always such a treat to hear her laugh. He loved hearing her laugh and he loved being the one making her laugh. Her wit and dry humor made him laugh too. He had never been with a woman who made him laugh, not that it was a trait he cared for in a woman before anyway. A few feet away Claire's heart sank, watching the exchange bitterly as she pretended to listen to Cal and his friends. She longed for a drink as she realized that all those warnings months ago had fallen on deaf ears and that her son was falling for that bitch.

As Willie continued to speak, Daniel could barely comprehend her words as he was captivated by her beautiful facial features. As he stared deep into her eyes everybody in the room seemed to disappear and it was only the two of them and his doubts seemed to disappear along with them. For a while he had been waiting for his growing feelings to disappear. If anything, they only grew stronger. And as he looked deep into her eyes, he saw the writing on the wall; this was it. This was the face he wanted to see every single day, the one he wanted to cup into his hands. These were the eyes he wanted to gaze into and hers were the lips he wanted to kiss. Her smooth skin being the one he wished to feel against his own and on his palms. This was it for him; this was the woman he wanted to be with for the rest of his life. It was that simple. The difficult part would be convincing her of that.

"Willie, can we…erm, I need to tell you something." Daniel requested.

"Okay?" She replied, confused.

There was a spell of awkward silence between the two, from anticipation on Wilhelmina's part and pure nervousness from Daniel. He could feel his palms begin to sweat as he tried to compose himself for the possible biggest confession of his life. Willie watched him carefully as a sheen of perspiration appeared above his upper lip. She had grown to find him quite cute whenever he displayed signs of nervousness and then she found the corners of her mouth turning up at the sight. It was that smile that calmed Daniel's nerves measurably. She smiled at him with such candor that he felt the nerves begin to decrease.

"So…uh I wanted to…I know this is probably not the right place or even time to bring this up but I feel like I have to. I just want to get it out in the open 'cause if I wait any longer I might lose my nerve."

"Daniel, what is it?" She inquired. He inched closer and then ever gracefully reached out and took her hand in his.

"Wilhelmina, for some time now I've been having these feelings for you; real strong feelings and I thought I was imagining them and thinking it was just a crush and it would go away but it didn't. My feelings only got stronger with each passing day and I've been trying and fighting so hard not to feel them, telling myself that this is just sex but is it?" He babbled. Her eyes widened in shock.

"I'm sorry what?"

"I have feelings for you." He confessed.

"Daniel, are you serious right now?" She laughed.

"I am." He affirmed. "Look Willie you can't deny that we've been having some 'moments' lately."

"What moments?" She asked, bemused.

"Oh, c'mon; the longing looks between us, the touches and that kiss that other night. It was epic I haven't stopped thinking about that ever since it happened." Her eyes widened at the mention of the kiss, heat rose in her cheeks while her mouth twitched into a half-smile. She then quickly composed herself, her expression quickly changing to neutral. He continued.

"And that look on your face right now when I just told you, I can see that you've been feeling it too. Am I crazy or is there something here other than sex?"

"And what if there is? There's nothing we can do about that."

"Yes there is. We can try and…"

"Be together?" She snorted.

"Yes. I want to be with you. For real." He professed at which gave another snort.

"Daniel, be realistic."

"I am. You and I have changed a lot in this period we've been married"

"People don't change, they reveal who they are." She argued.

"In that case you and I have revealed our true selves during this period. And do you know what I found out? That you are the most interesting person I have ever known, the most amazing woman I've ever been with. You are incredible that I find myself wanting to be surrounded by you. You have become my friend. I really like you." Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. He continued.

"It's true. I hope you don't find this creepy but lately whenever I'm away from you I find myself wishing to be with you or at least near you. I find myself drawn to you in ways I've never been to a woman before. Willie, I have no agenda; I'm not driven by lust or my desire for a family. My feelings for you are simply because of who you are."

"Oh…Wow." She whispered, trying to find her words. "That's a…lot."

"I know. All I'm saying is let's try things out and see where it leads." He suggested.

"I didn't expect this at all." She murmured "Oh my, God. I think I need a moment. Will you excuse me?"

"Of course." He replied before loosening his grip on her hand. She cut her way among the guests walking as fast as her Versace gown would allow as she made for the ladies room. He wore a boyish grin as he watched her walk away, little did he know just how fateful that trip to the bathroom would be.

* * *

The moment she stepped into the washroom she exhaled. She briefly leaned against the door trying to figure out what kind of twilight zone she woke up in this morning. She then dashed to the mirror. Shock was still etched on her face as she stared at her reflection, her heart still pumping faster than normal, heat rising in her cheeks while the moment that just occurred replayed. If her face wasn't coated with makeup, she would have splashed some water on it to cool off. She was feeling conflicted. She couldn't believe Daniel was experiencing the same feelings she was and that he couldn't stop thinking about the kiss just as she was. Nevertheless, Daniel Meade was impulsive. He had a tendency of falling for women who seemed a tad different from his usual type. If a girl wasn't a bimbo with fake tits and a double digit IQ, he assumed that she was the one. She had witnessed it.

As she continued to stare at her reflection she saw not only herself but the truth staring back at her. She had feelings for Daniel Meade. She had no idea where they were coming from but they were there and moments ago when he made his declaration they became clearer. But alas she was also faced with the painful truth that whatever romantic relationship they pursued was doomed. Sure their dynamic had changed over the past few months but did it mean that they should cross that line? They were both in a good place with an improved relationship which translated to a better working relationship. Were their feelings worth it? Were the feelings enough to explore and risk undoing all the progress they've made in their relationship? Even if she would entertain the idea of trying things out with Daniel, she would be setting herself up for a heartbreak and she wasn't sure if that was a risk she was willing to take, given the double blow to her heart with Connor and the baby.

Her mind was still swirling when the door to the ladies' room swung open and Daniel's friend Becks walked in, much to her surprise and displeasure. She watched him as he leaned against the door his face twisted into a smug grin.

"Hey, what are you doing in here?" She demanded, her voice calm.

"Nothing, I just wanted to talk to you. You look absolutely gorgeous by the way." He said striding towards her. She didn't utter a response and instead held her hands under the faucet getting ready to leave.

"I can see what Danny sees and I'm liking." He said before licking his lips in a manner which he wrongly assumed was sexy. A feeling of disgust began to creep up on her and intensified when he stood behind her, their eyes meeting on the large mirror.

"Is there something I can help you with, Becket?" She inquired. He responded with a wry grin before placing his hands on the marble counter on each side of her, practically locking her in the small space.

"Call me Becks." He whispered. Her nostrils flared up as she caught a strong whiff of whiskey on his breath. She was growing more uncomfortable by the second but she didn't show it one little bit. People like him were like animals; they could smell fear and discomfort and they got off on it. So instead she held her stare through their reflection anticipating his next move.

"So…" He began "Why are you being such a prude? You were a super model, you used to fuck Mick Jagger and you had a three way with Tommy Lee. So why won't you have a three way with me and Danny boy?"

"What?" She whispered.

"C'mon it's been months since he asked you, when are you giving my boy the green light? You're so fucking sexy I just wanna jump your bones and believe me you won't be sorry." He urged grinning wryly.

"I'm sure I won't." She answered plastering a fake smile. She watched as his grin slightly fell which she didn't quite understand, given the fact that she just gave him the okay to fuck her.

"So…you're in?" He queried, studying her.

"Sure." She replied and then she felt his arm encircling her waist.

"You know, I was beginning to think that Danny is trying to keep you all to himself. He did say you're a tomcat in bed after all." He remarked as his hands moved down her hips and her jaw tightened.

"Danny is one lucky guy." He whispered as one of his hands moved to her ass and gave it a light squeeze while the other moved up her body and onto her breast. He watched her reaction and she didn't dare show the discomfort she was feeling inside. She remained composed and glued to the spot, her eyes not leaving his. She pressed her lips together and at that moment the only feeling present in her body was contempt for both Daniel and the asshole whose hands were roaming her body. If she wasn't so disgusted she would have pushed him into one of the stalls and fucked him just to get back at Daniel.

"I guess that settles it then." She announced and maneuvered out of his grasp and sashayed to the door.

* * *

He felt good, like a load had been lifted off his shoulders and what felt better was Willie's reaction. He saw it in her eyes when he confessed it was shock both from a realization hitting her and the fact that he was confessing. She wasn't mad, which is why she didn't snatch her hand away nor did she dismiss him. Her reaction was simply astonishment and who could blame her? That's why he didn't protest when she asked for some time to process the revelation.

His heart leapt as she emerged. He watched her carefully as she approached; her entire body language was entirely different from the one he witnessed moments ago. And instead of walking over to him she dashed for the open bar. He knitted his brows and watched as she exchanged a word with the bartender and proceeded to drum her perfectly manicured fingernails on the bar anxiously. Something was up, he concluded and rushed over.

"Hey" He whispered cautiously.

"Oh, hey." She said pointedly before taking a sip of the scotch.

"So, what's up? You came straight right here and I got worried. Look if you're feeling overwhelmed I completely under-…"

"Let's not talk about it here." She insisted.

"Uh…yeah sure." He stuttered.

* * *

They stayed for one more hour engaged in small talk with a few more guests and then dipped out. The ride back home was awkward that only a handful of words were exchanged. For the life of him Daniel just could not understand what happened with Wilhelmina this evening. The word distant would be an understatement. He was bewildered; everything seemed fine before she went to the ladies room and she came back a completely different woman.

When they stepped into the dimly lit penthouse Willie immediately flung her pashmina on a nearby table, strode to the bar area and reached for a decanter and proceeded to pour its amber contents. She drank it in two gulps while Daniel watched in concern. She soon refilled the glass and brought it to her lips.

"Wilhel-…" He tried but he was cut off.

"I'm tired. I think I'll just head to bed tonight." She announced with a challenging stare "ALONE." She emphasized and chugged the remaining liquid.

"Oh…okay." He muttered. She gave him one last glance and slammed the glass back on the counter and she was off. To say the list this was not how he imagined this evening ending.

She slammed the bedroom door behind her and leaned against it much like she did earlier, only this time she breathed out a sigh of relief from being away from Daniel Meade's presence. Never had she felt so cheap and ridiculed and this was from a woman who was sleeping with a man her father's age to gain control of _Mode_ magazine and was once pushed into an open grave in front of her colleagues and subordinates.

She unzipped her gown, shimmied out of it and let it pool at her feet before stepping out of it. She bent down and unfastened her shoes and kicked them off. If she was a naïve woman with little life experience she would have burst into tears but for some reason this outcome seemed to fit better. Nevertheless, she told herself she wasn't going to lose sleep over tonight's events and she knew the exact remedy for such. She dashed for the bathroom and to her medicine cabinet that housed her prescription of sleeping pills and did what she hadn't done in quite some time.

* * *

Daniel absentmindedly stirred the now soggy cereal in his bowl. His lack of sleep the previous night was evident from his bleary eyes. He really imagined last night ending differently and yet here he was. He needed to talk to her and tell her to take all the time she needed. He jumped at hearing her footsteps around the living room and went after her.

"Wilhelmina?" He said carefully.

"Yeah?"

"Are we gonna talk about this?"

"About what?"

"Last night I know I caught you off guard and dumped all this on you. I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable. I just felt like if I didn't tell you at the time that I wouldn't get the courage again. If you don't feel that way or you need more time, it's okay. I don't want things to get awkward between us. I really didn't mean to upset you when I…"

"I'm not upset!" She snapped.

"You clearly are! You've only spoken like five words since the party last night and then went to bed alone."

"Listen here, Meade; I am not obligated to talk to you every moment of every day and I am certainly NOT obligated to fuck you every night. THIS is my home and therefore I can keep my mouth shut or go to bed without hopping on your dick because guess what; it's my prerogative!" She spat.

"I know that." He replied calmly.

"Do you? Because you went on and made decisions about my body behind my back not too long ago."

"What are you talking about?" He asked, his features twisted in confusion.

"The threesome proposal your friend made which you accepted on my behalf." She revealed and watched as the color drained from his face.

"What?" He asked in disbelief.

"Don't bother denying it. Your buddy Becks told me everything last night." His eyes bulged out, his face getting paler. "I guess that wasn't part of the deal huh?"

"Wilhelmina, please… you have to believe me…"

"Stop! You're caught, why bother?"

"Because what Becks told you isn't true!" He exclaimed.

"What's not true? That you promised your friend a devil's three way and neglected to run it by me? That you talked about my sexual prowess to your friend and how I'm a tomcat in bed?" Daniel's eyes were as wide as saucers.

"Or that I had a three way with Tommy? Your buddy was incredibly forthcoming when he was feeling me up in the bathroom last night, begging me to give a green light so the two of you can double team me."

"Willie…"

"And I'm not upset, Daniel. I'm just processing because you are EXACTLY the entitled, disgusting, seven-layer jackass man-whore, vermin that walked into my life three years ago."

"Wilhelmina, please…"

"Now I have to go to the gym. I have a sudden urge to punch something hard repeatedly!" With that she stormed off leaving a paralyzed blanch faced Daniel.

* * *

Daniel's palms beat fiercely on the wooden door. He didn't bother using the doorbell as it wouldn't have the same effect. His nostrils were flared and his body tensed up in fury as he waited rather impatiently. He knew the bastard was home; it was Sunday morning.

"Becks! Open up!" He hollered and soon heard footsteps coming towards the door. The door flung open to reveal Becks wearing the most shit eating grin of all.

"Hey, Danny what's up?" He asked nonchalantly. Daniel stepped into the swanky apartment pushing past his friend.

"You went to Wilhelmina? You ambushed her in the bathroom last night?" He accused.

"Relax, Danny it's okay. I did what you were too chicken to do. She's okay with us double teaming her." Becks replied crudely. Overwhelmed with rage Daniel balled his hand into a fist, charged at his friend and took a swing directly at his jaw.

"You son of a bitch!" He roared. For the first time he managed to wipe the smug look from his friend's face. Becks jerked back, his hand immediately covering his jaw in pain. His forehead creased while his mouth hung open in shock as he stared at his friend too taken aback to retaliate.

"Leave Wilhelmina alone!" Daniel commanded, still heaving.

"Now you care about the bitch all of a sudden?" Becks sneered, gaining his bravado.

"STOP calling her that!"

"How chivalrous!" He said with a mirthless laugh.

"You're a fucking asshole! You told her about Tommy Lee and everything I told you about her being great in bed to drive a wedge between us!" Daniel said shaking his head cynically.

"Drive a wedge between you? Do I need to remind you that you and that bitch aren't and never will be a couple? What wedge am I driving here, Danny?"

"Stay the fuck away from her and stay the fuck away from me too." He warned.

"Wow, you almost sound like a real husband." mocked Becks. Daniel's jaw tightened as he resisted the urge to throw another punch. "You think a woman like that will really have the hots for a guy like you? Think about it…look at the dudes she used to date; her last boyfriend was Connor Owens the mastermind from college, the one that bamboozled you."

"Suddenly I'm not good enough for Wilhelmina and that's why you chose to sabotage me last night?"

"News flash, Danny; It's not all of a sudden. She's a business woman; she's been doing this longer than you. She's got her eyes on the prize; your company. You think she'd fuck you if you didn't hold the keys to the kingdom? And you're gonna throw away our friendship over this?" His friend scolded without shame. Daniel simply shook his head in disgust and marched to the door.

"Fuck you, man." He uttered before walking out.

* * *

Wilhelmina felt a tiny bit of relief when she walked into the quiet apartment, there was a good chance that her so-called husband wasn't home. However, her optimism was for naught when she set foot in her living room to find Daniel waiting for her with an ice pack over the back of his hand. He looked at her expectantly yet guilty faced like a dog that took a shit on the carpet when the owner wasn't home.

She rolled her eyes in exasperation; she wasn't in the mood to listen to any explanations regarding the previous evening's events. She had been hoping that he would be gone by the time she returned, that he probably went crying to his mom or more likely all the way in Queens with his confidant feeding his ego by telling him that he wasn't in the wrong. But here they were.

"Wilhelmina?"

"What?" She breathed disdainfully.

"Can we please talk?"

"I am not in the mood, Daniel."

"Willie, please I can explain." He begged

"I don't want to hear it!" She snapped.

"Please just listen to me!" He snapped back.

"No, you listen to me! Less than 24 hours ago your friend made a pass at me in the restroom informing me about a threesome that I was supposed to participate in which you were apparently still buttering me up for. That was minutes after you told me that you wanted to be with me."

"I'm so sorry, Willie." He relented.

"And now you're expecting me to just forget about it?"

"No, of course not. I just want to explain."

"That's the thing. Whatever explanation you have cooked up is trivial to me, I'm afraid. Now please back the HELL off and give me some space!"

With that she marched out of the room and down the hallway, leaving a devastated Daniel. He sank back down on the sofa running his hand on his temples. He breathed out a long sigh of absolute defeat. He sure had fucked up this time. His body jolted at the loud bang of the door. Soon his eyes began to glimmer; never had the sound of a door slamming felt so painful.


End file.
